8 pages, The use of digital technologies in agriculture offers various benefits, such as site-specific application, better monitoring, and physical relief. The handling of these technologies requires a specific skill set. Therefore, the question arises of when and how farm managers learn about digital technologies. Aiming to analyse the current situation, the present research investigated the role that digital technologies play in vocational training for future farm managers. Taking the example of farm management information systems (FMIS), the present study also analysed various predictors of adoption, including the effect of training. To investigate these research questions, an online survey among teachers and students of the farm management vocational programme across Switzerland was conducted in the spring of 2021. In total, 150 individuals participated, 41 of whom were teachers. Participants answered questions about the learning content in the farm management programme and their perception of digital technologies in general. Students further reported whether they already had a farm they would be managing in the future and how they perceived FMIS. The results indicate that both teachers and students are convinced that digital technologies play an important role in agriculture and will gain more importance in the future. A substantial part of 43% of the students who participated indicated that they had learned neither about digital technologies during their basic agricultural training nor the subsequent farm management programme. In terms of FMIS, 51% of the student sample indicated that they had never heard about FMIS during their agricultural training. While having learned about FMIS was not a significant predictor for adoption, gender, perceived ease of use, and intention to use more digital technologies in the future significantly predicted the adoption of FMIS. The paper concludes that, to support the adoption of digital technologies and FMIS specifically, training for future farm managers should focus on how to operate an FMIS to increase the perceived ease of use of this technology.
United States: Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12519
Notes:
4 pages., Sasakawa Africa Association shares their approach to strengthening the resilience of food systems in Africa through innovative approaches using information and communication technologies.
he Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) was established in 1986 by Ryoichi Sasakawa, the first chairman of the Nippon Foundation; Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and father of the Green Revolution; and former US President, Jimmy Carter; in response to the famine in the Horn of Africa in the 1980s.
Since then, SAA has strengthened agricultural extension services in 16 countries in Africa. Currently, we have offices in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda, where we focus on field activities and human resource development at universities and other educational institutions. We also implement human resource development projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12483
Notes:
Book Chapter, 37 pages in "Food Technology Disruptions"
ISBN: 9780128214701, Globally, various digital platforms are efficiently explored to provide information in various sectors. In many developing countries, the majority of the main population occupation is agriculture. Traditional extension services are limited by lack of extension personnel, expertise, up-to-date information regarding market access, timeliness, information storage. Therefore, digitalization can be critical in overcoming such limitations through the utilization of various information and communication technology (ICT) tools; Decision support systems, databases, Agri-based Apps, KIOSK. These advanced approaches will not only support the extension and farming communities but also improve their skills and uplift them in contributing to an increased national GDP. This chapter covers various digital tools and their efficiency with a supporting case study on utilization and impact of digital extension services (DES) on farmer’s knowledge in terms of agricultural practices in selected villages of Belagavi district, Karnataka, India. In conclusion, digital extension services play a vital role in the dissemination of updated information for improving agricultural supply chain management.
Pages 121-147 in Scaling-up Solutions for Farmers., In most of the developing countries in Asia and Africa large yield gaps are existing between the current farmers’ yields and potential achievable yields. The necessity of meeting the farmers’ requirement to scale up research results is paramount for adequate food production. This requires empowerment of farmers by answering queries of farmers appropriately through different extension channels including state and central machineries. These are the backbone of the agricultural technology development to empower farmers as the major stakeholders and hence requires attention. Lack of awareness among farmers about good agricultural management practices compel them to follow the traditional practices. All agricultural education and research, ultimately aims at increased productivity and economic well-being of farmers. This is possible only when there is a minimum gap between laboratories and land. This gap is bridged by agricultural extension. But human capacity, the content of the information, processes of delivery and technology determine effectiveness of extension services. Non-availability of sufficient extension personnel is a major constraint. To overcome these shortcomings, e-Extension (eE) is the alternative. It is important to rejuvenate the agricultural extension system (AES) with innovative information communication technology (ICT) models for knowledge generation and dissemination. Latest digital technologies are discussed in this chapter on ICT to empower farmers to scale up for reaching the required target of food production with special reference to Indian scenario.
There is an urgent need to transform neglected knowledge delivery systems by strengthening the science of delivery which has been neglected by the researchers/development worker/policy makers alike. Availability of new technologies such as information technology (IT), internet of things (IoT), audio and video using cell phones, geographical information system (GIS), simulation modelling, remote sensing (RS) open up new vistas for effective knowledge delivery for achieving the impacts on ground. This will help to cross the “Death Valley of Impacts” for achieving the zero hunger goal by adopting innovative approaches/tools and partnerships.
Conference paper / Journal article, This study examined farmers’ readiness to assess social media as agro-information reception tool in the study area. An interview guide was used in collecting data from 120 farmers who were randomly selected. Data collected were analysed with the aid frequency counts percentages and logit regression. The results showed that half of the respondents (50%) had primary education. About 90% were aware of whatsapp and 12.6% were aware of blogs, respectively. Education, farming experience, membership of farmers’ group and extension access were the variables that positively influence farmers’ readiness to assesssocial media as agro-information reception tool while respondents’ age negatively influence readiness to assess social media. Enlightenment programmes for farmers on the use of social media and an improved extension services to keep the farmers acquainted with the benefits of social media.
19 pages., Advancing information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become central to international agricultural and extension development efforts. ICTs are crucial in facilitating information transfer, ensuring stakeholder access to information, and increasing the decision-making capacity of smallholder farmers. The research presented here introduces an instrument developed to quantify perceptions of ICT use capacity within international extension networks. The aggregate scale was verified for content validity, response process validity, internal structure validity, and consequential validity informing its use. The instrument was administered to network members (n = 122) associated with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with measures of correlation and reliability analyzed. Six factors were extracted and analyzed further. The resulting Perceptions of ICT Use scale and factors can be used as reliable instruments for quantifying perceptions of ICT use capacity, enhancing international extension network needs assessments, and informing policies and practices which maximize ICT capacity.
27 pages, With new possibilities offered by information and communications technology (ICT), an abundance of products, services, and projects has emerged with the promise of revitalizing agricultural extension in developing countries. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that not all ICT-enabled extension approaches are equally effective in improving adoption, productivity, income, or welfare outcomes. In this review, we explore various conceptual and methodological threads in the literature on ICT-enabled extension in developing countries. We examine the role of multiple impact pathways, highlighting how ICTs influence behaviors and preferences,gender and intrahousehold dynamics, spillovers, and public worker incentives. We also explore the opportunities presented by ICT-enabled extension for increasing the methodological rigor with which extension outcomes are identified. These conceptual and methodological insights—coupled with empirical evidence from prior studies—offer direction for several lines of policy-relevant research on ICT-enabled extension.
21 pages, The transformation of smallholder farming is poised to be one of the key drivers of achieving the dual objectives of food security and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Smallholder farmers account for between 60–80% of the food produced in the region but face many challenges that impede their productivity. Such challenges include a lack of timely access to appropriate agricultural information and services, which results in poor decision-making, particularly in addressing challenges and responding effectively to opportunities. In that context, the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in improving accessibility to appropriate agricultural information and services presents substantial prospects for transforming the productivity and livelihoods of the farmers. Currently, the region experiences massive penetration and propagation of mobile and web-based applications. However, there is a dearth of compelling, comprehensive reviews evaluating their importance in enhancing agricultural information and services dissemination to smallholder farmers. Therefore, the current review explores the potential of enhancing agricultural information and services dissemination to smallholder farmers through ICTs and highlights gaps in their development and deployment in SSA. Five existing mobile applications used to disseminate agricultural information and services to smallholder farmers were identified, and their advantages, limitations, and opportunities were discussed. These were Esoko, iCow, Community Knowledge Workers, WeFarm and DigiFarm. The development and deployment of user-driven mobile applications that provide curated skill-sharing platforms, encourage farmers to give feedback to extension systems in real-time and promote the participation of women and youth in agriculture are recommended.
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