Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C25447
Notes:
Pages 312-336 in Maximo Torero and Joachim von Braun (eds.), Information and communication technologies for development and poverty reduction: the potential of telecommunications. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 362 pages.
Salas, Jorge (author), Vega, Humberto (author), Oritz, Julio (author), Bustos, Raime (author), Lozoya, Camilo (author), and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
Format:
Conference paper
Publication Date:
2014
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 163 Document Number: D08176
Notes:
Article number 7049083, pp. 3903-3908, 40th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, IECON 2014; Sheraton Hotel DallasDallas; United States; 30 October 2014 through 1 November 2014; Category numberCFP14IEC-ART; Code 112104
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 145 Document Number: C22699
Notes:
Pages 143-154 in Larry R. Whiting, Communications technology in the land grant university setting: a focus on computer-based innovations for information dissemination to external audiences. Miscellaneous Report. Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Iowa State University, Ames, 1981.
27 pages., The provision of information through mobile phone-enabled agricultural information services (m-Agri services) has the potential to revolutionise agriculture and significantly improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in Africa. Globally, the benefits of m-Agri services include facilitating farmers’ access to financial services and sourcing agricultural information about input use, practices, and market prices. There are very few published literature sources that focus on the potential benefits of m-Agri services in Africa and none of which explore their sustainability. This study, therefore, explores the evolution, provision, and sustainability of these m-Agri services in Africa. An overview of the current landscape of m-Agri services in Africa is provided and this illustrates how varied these services are in design, content, and quality. Key findings from the exploratory literature review reveal that services are highly likely to fail to achieve their intended purpose or be abandoned when implementers ignore the literacy, skills, culture, and demands of the target users. This study recommends that, to enhance the sustainability of m-Agri services, the implementers need to design the services with the users involved, carefully analyse, and understand the target environment, and design for scale and a long-term purpose. While privacy and security of users need to be ensured, the reuse or improvement of existing initiatives should be explored, and projects need to be data-driven and maintained as open source. Thus, the study concludes that policymakers can support the long-term benefit of m-Agri services by ensuring favourable policies for both users and implementers.
