Extension and Applica0on of ICTs

Transcription

1 Extension and Applica0on of ICTs Charles Steinfield Michigan State University CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Ins=tu=ons and Markets (PIM) Workshop: Research on Agricultural Extension Systems: What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go From Here? October 15-16, 2013, Washington DC, USA

2 Rapid diffusion of ICT- especially mobiles - offers many possibili0es for extension Source: ITU World Telecommunica=on /ICT Indicators database.

3 Prolifera0on of Mobile Services Type of System Basic Focus Examples Farmer advisory and informa=on services Providing ag info directly to farmers, two- way interac=on with ag extension officers Market informa=on systems Financial informa=on services Decision support services Address informa=on asymmetries that disadvantage small farmers, provide real =me market prices Pla[orms that allow use of mobiles to store, send and receive money. Also micro- lending, micro- insurance services Typically involve collec=on of some informa=on from farmers that drives algorithm- based recommenda=ons, precision ag

4 Evolving opportuni0es with phones Listen to radio on phone Interac=ve voice response (IVR) to listen to pre- recorded segments Use of bulk calling, messaging to send pre- recorded content to farmers e.g. Collect informa=on via polling or data mining text- based ques=ons for early warning crowdsourcing Equipping intermediaries with smartphones, and having services available through them e.g. Grameen s Community Knowledge Workers showing great promise

5 Many new approaches integrate internet and phones with radio and TV Farmer Voice Radio Shamba Shape Up Rukaa Juu from Femina Digital Green Some common features Participatory, local involvement Feature agricultural experts interacting with local farmers Use phones and SMS for call ins, texting for additional info, polling Use social media like Facebook to build community Provide local viewing strategies with low cost projection Often have an edu-tainment orientation embed instructional content into dramas, reality show formats

6 Many challenges Despite op=mis=c penetra=on sta=s=cs, the reality on the ground can be quite different Mobile phone subscrip=on rates not necessarily indica=ve of true access by smallholder farmers Many people buy mul=ple SIM cards, so true access is inflated Women 21% less likely to have a mobile in 2010 according to GSMA (26% for women at lowest income levels) Research on effec=veness of mobile services is limited and evidence of impact is mixed E.g. several studies of market informa=on systems find no impact on prices obtained by farmers

7 Simply possessing a phone is not enough Limited awareness of services Poor design of services limits willingness to use (e.g. not in na=ve language, poor interac=on design, high cost) Limited ability to act on informa=on once obtained Phone competence Condi=on of the phone Keeping the phone charged Pre- paid credit Language/literacy Gender- based constraints All can work against gegng 0me- sensi0ve informa0on via phone to farmers

8 Opportunity is there But we need to address access and use limita=ons, as well as design problems to hope to achieve benefits Need to consider full range of ICTs, not just mobiles Need to address gender constraints, or the poten=al to widen dispari=es exists Important to consider role of intermediaries Sustainability remains a challenge