Eitzinger, Anton (author), Cock, James (author), Atzmanstorfer, Karl (author), Binder, Claudia R. (author), Läderach, Peter (author), Bonilla-Findji, Osana (author), Bartlin, Mona (author), Mwongera, Caroline (author), Zurita, Leo (author), and Jarvis, Andy (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-03
Published:
Germany: Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10292
13 pages., Via online journal., Farmers can manage their crops and farms better if they can communicate their experiences, both positive and negative, with each other and with experts. Digital agriculture using internet communication technology (ICT) may facilitate the sharing of experiences between farmers themselves and with experts and others interested in agriculture. ICT approaches in agriculture are, however, still out of the reach of many farmers. The reasons are lack of connectivity, missing capacity building and poor usability of ICT applications. We decided to tackle this problem through cost-effective, easy to use ICT approaches, based on infrastructure and services currently available to small-scale producers in developing areas. Working through a participatory design approach, we developed and tested a novel technology. GeoFarmer provides near real-time, two-way data flows that support processes of co-innovation in agricultural development projects. It can be used as a cost-effective ICT-based platform to monitor agricultural production systems with interactive feedback between the users, within pre-defined geographical domains. We tested GeoFarmer in four geographic domains associated with ongoing agricultural development projects in East and West Africa and Latin America. We demonstrate that GeoFarmer is a cost-effective means of providing and sharing opportune indicators of on-farm performance. It is a potentially useful tool that farmers and agricultural practitioners can use to manage their crops and farms better, reduce risk, increase productivity and improve their livelihoods.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
IPPF/WHR works to improve the health of women throughout the Americas, ensure access to family planning, and address the range of sexual and reproductive health issues that affect the integral health of women, men, and adolescents in Latin America and Caribbean region.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
Gateway to Latin American information on the Internet, with editorially reviewed directories linking to information by country, region, subject, and on LANIC joint projects, databases, news, and Latin American studies; affiliated with the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) at the University of Texas at Austin; site versions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association or Asociación de Economía de América Latina y el Caribe (LACEA) is an international association of economists with common research interests in Latin America. It was formed in 1992 to facilitate the exchange of ideas among economists and policymakers. For more information about LACEA, preview its history and Bylaws.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
The Network of Sex Workers Women in Latin America and the Caribbean was founded in 1997 in order to support and strengthen female sex worker organizations in the defense and promotion of their rights in the region. RedTraSex promotes and respects the independence and autonomy of each organization of sex worker women in each participating country.
19 pages, The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected people's lives around the world, including agricultural extension workers. To date, few studies have been conducted to understand the adaptation of extension services in Latin American countries during the pandemic. This mixed-methods study explored Latin-American extension professionals’ preparation to implement knowledge-sharing activities and sought to understand extension professionals' responsiveness to COVID-19. The results revealed significant differences in extension responsiveness, between field extension workers and in-office extension workers. Delving into this difference revealed that field extension professionals perceived lower responsiveness because they were not able to continue their pre-pandemic, face-to-face activities in the field with farmers; on the other hand, office extension workers were able to complete and respond to their annual program objectives by increasing institutional partnerships by virtual means. Resilience was found in the two phases of this study. Extension professionals were viewed by farmers as a reliable resource for addressing COVID-19 challenges. Extension professionals began using new communications technologies to train farmers, even though they were not trained in these technologies themselves. It will be important to begin formally incorporating the use of new technology, and alternative communication strategies with communities during crises, as part of preparation for field technicians.
