Archive for March, 2012

March 2, 2012

Mobile Phones and Apps Making a Difference in the Lives of Poor Farmers

The Worldbank states that ICTs make a difference to small scale farmers:

“A farmers’ organization in Western Kenya uses mobile phones to access a digital marketplace and bypass middlemen. Now trading directly with exporters, the group is seeing dramatic increases in income. New mobile applications are also being used to provide timely information about disease outbreaks to farmers in Eastern Africa, so they can prepare and prevent the pests from affecting their livestock.

Understanding and addressing global agriculture developments—both positive and negative—are critical to improving smallholder livelihoods. These are just two examples of how the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) can improve smallholder farmers’ income and increase agricultural productivity. Expanded and increasingly affordable connectivity and tools, especially mobile phones, as well as advances in data storage and open access, have made ICT relevant to agriculture.”

Have a look at the Worldbank news-item.

 

March 1, 2012

Global Partnership for Oceans

Talking about agriculture, food security and rural development never forget about the ocean: A beautiful movie by the Worldbank.

Tags: