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2. USDA’s rural partners network targets communities with greatest infrastructure needs
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Carlson, Claire (author)
- Format:
- Online Article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-04-26
- Published:
- United States: Daily Yonder
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12617
- Journal Title:
- Daily Yonder
- Journal Title Details:
- Online
- Notes:
- 5pgs, Billions of dollars in federal funding are available to help rural communities repair and build infrastructure like roads and bridges, clean drinking water, hospitals, and schools. A new pilot project at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is designed to help communities that most need the funding receive it, officials said.
3. Where are families taking advantage of the home broadband discount?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Eaton, Kristi (author)
- Format:
- Online Article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-03-30
- Published:
- United States: Daily Yonder
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12621
- Journal Title Details:
- Online
- Notes:
- 3 pgs, A new mapping tool shows where households have taken advantage of a federal stimulus program that defrays some of the cost of broadband for lower-income Americans.The tool, which was created through a partnership between Rural LISC and the nonpartisan nonprofit Heartland Forward, was designed to help target families that may qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) but who aren’t participating.
4. Use of information and communication technologies by Vietnamese smallholders: Implications for extension strategies
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hoang, Hung Gia (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-02-18
- Published:
- International: SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12212
- Journal Title:
- Information Development
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol.37(2)
- Notes:
- 9 pages., In order to facilitate the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for accessing agricultural information by smallholders, it is critical to understand their perspectives on the use of ICT. However, few empirical studies have considered how smallholders utilise ICT in Central Vietnam. This research investigates the Central Vietnamese smallholders’ views on the extent of use of ICT for accessing agricultural information. A sample size of 250 smallholders was randomly selected from a total of 687 smallholders in Trieu Phong district, Central Vietnam. A two-section questionnaire was used to gather data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The smallholders used mobile phones, TV and radio networks/broadcasts as the common ICT tools, and these were also effective ICT tools for accessing agricultural information. Lack of knowledge and skills for using applications on mobile phones were the main challenge to the smallholders’ use of ICT. A statistically significant relationship, existing between the extent of mobile phone use and the smallholders’ age (χ = 10.04, p = 0.040), gender (χ = 5.99, p = 0.014) and the type of households (χ = 6.84, p = 0.033), was found. Similarly, there was a statistically significant relationship existing between the extent of radio network/broadcast use and the smallholders’ age (χ = 9.58, p = 0.048) and gender (χ = 4.83, p = 0.028).
5. A conversation about food systems change in South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Malan, Naudé (author)
- Format:
- Journal Article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-10-14
- Published:
- International: Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12053
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 10, No. 1 2020
- Notes:
- 14 Pages, iZindaba Zokudla (IZ) is a multistakeholder engagement project that aims to create opportunities for urban agriculture in a sustainable food system in Johannesburg. IZ implements the Farmers’ Lab, a social lab used as a transitional mechanism in a larger transition to sustainability. To move the South African urban food system to an ecologically sound, economically productive, and socially equitable system, significant stakeholder integration is needed, and the iZindaba Zokudla Farmers’ Lab provides that. This reflective essay presents a history of the project (2013 until now) detailing the project’s creation of an ecosystem based on social labs that facilitate innovation in the food system. Emergent entrepreneurs and others use the social labs and their activities, as well as stakeholder engagement in their enterprise development, and these Labs have created opportunities for applied and other research in the university. This has brought innovation and change to agroecological practice in Johannesburg. This reflective essay article situates IZ within the broader evolutionary change in South Africa and considers how conversations about food lead to the creation of sustainable food systems.
6. The use and abuse of the ‘model farmer’ approach in agricultural extension in Ethiopia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hailemichael, Salem (author) and Haug, Ruth (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-05-06
- Published:
- United States: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12054
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 26, 2020 Issue 5
- Notes:
- 21 Pages, Purpose: The article examines the implementation and effects of the model farmer-based approach of farmer-to-farmer extension delivery that is in use in Ethiopia. Methodology: The study used mixed methods, combining focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and a household survey. Findings: The model farmer approach has increased extension coverage, improved the possibility for information and technology dissemination, and enabled the inclusion of virtually all farming households in extension and advisory networks. Simultaneously, the approach has become a mechanism for the top-down control of farmers, for the identification and favouritism of better-off farmers, and those with political commitments. Practical implications: The findings show that there is a need to critically reflect on who model farmers are, how they are selected, what their historical and current roles and impact have been, as well as follower farmers’ feedback on the approach in order to avoid perpetuating the misuse of the approach. Theoretical implications: The article argues that the Ethiopian context that rewards rapid increase in production and productivity, modernisation of agriculture, competitive commercialisation, and a context that allows the continued entanglement of extension delivery with politics have enabled such misuse of the approach to proliferate. The article questions the extent of applicability of the core farmer-to-farmer extension principles that relate to social ties, reciprocity, collaboration, and minimal social hierarchies in such a context. Originality/value: The study generates important insights about the effects of model farmer-based extension approach, its political dimensions, and the importance of context for successful farmer-to-farmer extension.
7. Pro-poor Rural Growth of Agricultural Food through Rural Public Library Services for the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Bakare, Abdullahi A. (author), Olaniyi, Esther (author), and Oloruntola, Mosunmade Opeoluwa (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-01
- Published:
- United States: University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12373
- Journal Title:
- Library Philosophy and Practice
- Journal Title Details:
- Winter 2020
- Notes:
- 18 pages., The economic challenges in Nigeria make it to suffer from food insecurity which is due to low agricultural production and productivity. Specific initiatives by the Federal Government on pro-poor rural agricultural food growth to achieve SDGs to end hunger have been established. Similar structures have also been established in all the 36 States of the Federation and, in some cases, at Local Government Area level. The government is also with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and a wide array of stakeholders. Use of pro-poor rural agricultural food growth through rural public library services to achieve the goal 1 and goal 2 targets of SDGs (end poverty and hunger) is particularly the focus of this study. This paper submits that public libraries have a great role to play in the implementation of SDGs by using emerging technology, collaborating on capacity building and going into partnership with critical stakeholders to make information available to poor rural farmers. Hence, materials from the key partners of the government on information about production forecasts, increased agricultural productivity, soil composition, markets for different crops, dairy and poultry farming, farm mechanics, land use, preservation of soil, rainfall and cultivation of different types of crops, effective extension service delivery and feedback on situation for improved research and policy implementation on agriculture should be acquired by public libraries, organized, preserved and made available to rural poor to facilitate pro-poor rural agricultural food growth for the attainment of SDGs in Nigeria.
8. Sustainable development through participatory communication: an assessment of selected community projects in Cross River State, Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- John, Godswill (author) and Etika, David Nandi (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Nigeria: Asian Institute for Development Communication (AIDCOM)
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11914
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Development Communication
- Journal Title Details:
- 30(2) : 60-71
- Notes:
- Online from UI Library subscription., Report of research about use of participatory communication in development projects involving agriculture, natural resources, and other topics at community levels. Findings emphasized need to give priority to it when carrying out community projects.
9. Geographic information and communication technologies for supporting smallholder agriculture and climate resilience
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Haworth, Billy T. (author), Biggs, Eloise (author), Duncan, John (author), Wales, Nathan (author), Boruff, Bryan (author), and Bruce, Eleanor (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-12-10
- Published:
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10418
- Journal Title:
- Climate
- Journal Title Details:
- 6(4)
- Notes:
- 20 pages., Article 97, Via online journal., Multiple factors constrain smallholder agriculture and farmers’ adaptive capacities under changing climates, including access to information to support context appropriate farm decision-making. Current approaches to geographic information dissemination to smallholders, such as the rural extension model, are limited, yet advancements in internet and communication technologies (ICTs) could help augment these processes through the provision of agricultural geographic information (AGI) directly to farmers. We analysed recent ICT initiatives for communicating climate and agriculture-related information to smallholders for improved livelihoods and climate change adaptation. Through the critical analysis of initiatives, we identified opportunities for the success of future AGI developments. We systematically examined 27 AGI initiatives reported in academic and grey literature (e.g., organisational databases). Important factors identified for the success of initiatives include affordability, language(s), community partnerships, user collaboration, high quality and locally-relevant information through low-tech platforms, organisational trust, clear business models, and adaptability. We propose initiatives should be better-targeted to deliver AGI to regions in most need of climate adaptation assistance, including SE Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean. Further assessment of the most effective technological approaches is needed. Initiatives should be independently assessed for evaluation of their uptake and success, and local communities should be better-incorporated into the development of AGI initiatives
10. Impacts of distance education on agricultural performance and household income: micro-evidence from peri-urban districts in Beijing
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Guo, Jianxin (author), Jin, Songqing (author), Chen, Lei (author), and Zhao, Jichun (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-10-30
- Published:
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10422
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 10(11)
- Notes:
- 19 pages., Article 3945, Via online journal., Information communication technology (ICT) has changed the traditional agricultural extension service mode worldwide. This paper examines the effects of the Rural Distance Education Project (RDEP) on the household income, agricultural productivity, and off-farm employment of farmers in peri-urban areas in Beijing. Using the survey data of 783 randomly selected farm households from 54 villages in three Beijing peri-urban districts in 2014, and the propensity score matching method (PSM), we find that the RDEP has a significant and positive effect on agricultural productivity and input use. Meanwhile, the program’s effects are heterogeneous across districts and households. For example, the RDEP has significant impacts on several outcome indicators, such as agricultural labor productivity (at a 5% level of significance), agricultural land productivity (at a 10% level), and input use intensity (at a 1% level) in Tongzhou (an agriculturally more important district, with a more intensive RDEP usage), but none of these effects is significant in Pinggu district. Furthermore, the RDEP is found to have bigger, and statistically more significant effects, for households with junior high school education than for those with either lower or higher than junior high school education. Furthermore, the RDEP is more effective for households with more assets than those with fewer assets. These results point toward the importance of using a rural distance education program as an effective extension service, and the need to take community and individual characteristics into account in the implementation and design of future programs.