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.
This article describes the cultural and political history of Africa's contribution to the globalization process, revisits the conceptual and pragmatic relationship between globalization and development, and offers solutions, drawing from published materials retrieved from the Web, libraries, and original New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) sources. Further, it examines the connection between audience agenda setting, international investment, and NEPAD's plan for the application of information and communication technology toward the social and economic development of African countries and offers suggestions to NEPAD governing bodies on how to use local sites, business entities and technology to realize its objectives.
Kenny, Charles (author) and Best, Michael L. (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2009
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C36721
Notes:
Pages 177-205 in Tim Unwin (ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K. 386 pages.
Lebowitz, Abraham (author), Gelb, Ehud (author), and Taragola, Nicole (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2005-07-18
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 147 Document Number: C23524
Notes:
In the e-book, E.Gelb and A. Offer (eds.), ICT in Agriculture: perspectives of technological innovation. Center for Agricultural Economic Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 9 pages.
Altieri, Miguel A. (author) and Thrupp, Lori Ann (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2001
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C19682
Notes:
Pages 267-290 in Steven Wolf and David Zilberman (eds.), Knowledge generation and technical change: institutional innovation in agriculture. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, Massachusetts. 371 pages.