ICT Update 91: Next-generation ACP agriculture – innovations that work

ICT Update 91: Next-generation ACP agriculture – innovations that work
Author: CTA
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 20
Release: 2019-06-30
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN:

Digital as well as other technical and institutional innovations underpin the success of agriculture in developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). Such innovations are encouraging a new generation of young ‘agripreneurs’ to tackle agri-food challenges, explore ways to build resilience to climate change, and improve the incomes and livelihoods of people in agriculture. This issue of ICT Update brings together selected experiences of agricultural practitioners working close to the ‘front line’, bringing innovation and next-generation ideas to agriculture for development projects, and helping them reach, benefit and empower smallholder producers, leading to sustainable change.

Enhancing next-generation ACP agribusiness through digitalisation

Enhancing next-generation ACP agribusiness through digitalisation
Author: Ballantyne, Peter G.
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 8
Release: 2019-03-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Do innovative digital solutions improve the performance, competitiveness and profitability of farmer-oriented agribusinesses in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries? Thirty practitioners attending a recent CTA workshop zoomed in on real cases to test this question, assessing what works, how and why and drawing out insights and lessons – actionable knowledge – for wider application. Workshop participants identified five intersecting drivers that explain why farmer-oriented agribusinesses invest in digitalisation: to reduce risk, raise productivity, increase efficiency, improve decisions, and enhance access to markets. Participants argued that digital interventions all serve one or more of these, depending on specific local needs and situations. A critical factor underpinning success or failure in these areas is the sustainability of the business models used to deliver value and services.

ICT Update 90

ICT Update 90
Author: CTA
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 20
Release: 2019-03-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN:

Research and statistics state that women constitute around 40% of the agricultural labour force in the ACP region and while they make essential contributions to rural economies and the growing advancements in digitalisation - the gender gap in access to information communication technologies (ICTs) continue to widen. This means women farmers, particularly in rural areas, experience difficulties accessing information, financial products and services and markets. They also often do not participate in relevant policy-making.

A year in review

A year in review
Author: Pye-Smith, Charlie
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2019-03-31
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9290816511

It is becoming increasingly evident that a strong focus on digitalisation as a means to drive agricultural transformation is bearing dividends in the forms of increased production, better livelihoods, more efficient value chains and ultimately greater food and nutrition security. Digitalisation is also key to attracting youth back to agriculture. The use of a wide range of technologies – from mobile phones to drones – is helping smallholders gain access to the information and data they need to transform their businesses. One of the goals in CTA’s 2016–2020 Strategic Plan was to reach 1 million farmers, and a focus on digitalisation is helping us to achieve that. In many of our activities, there is a strong focus on supporting youth and promoting women empowerment.

The Digitalisation of African Agriculture Report 2018–2019

The Digitalisation of African Agriculture Report 2018–2019
Author: Tsan, Michael
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2019-06-30
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9290816570

An inclusive, digitally-enabled agricultural transformation could help achieve meaningful livelihood improvements for Africa’s smallholder farmers and pastoralists. It could drive greater engagement in agriculture from women and youth and create employment opportunities along the value chain. At CTA we staked a claim on this power of digitalisation to more systematically transform agriculture early on. Digitalisation, focusing on not individual ICTs but the application of these technologies to entire value chains, is a theme that cuts across all of our work. In youth entrepreneurship, we are fostering a new breed of young ICT ‘agripreneurs’. In climate-smart agriculture multiple projects provide information that can help towards building resilience for smallholder farmers. And in women empowerment we are supporting digital platforms to drive greater inclusion for women entrepreneurs in agricultural value chains.

A year in review

A year in review
Author: Pye-Smith, C.
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2018-06-05
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9290816244

At CTA, we leverage the power of knowledge, innovation and technology, particularly information and communication technologies (ICTs), to make a difference to the lives of rural people across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.We have stepped up our efforts to encourage youth entrepreneurship, support climate-smart agriculture, and promote digitalisation to improve the productivity and resilience of agricultural value chains. CTA’s renowned publishing programme now has a far stronger online presence than in the past, providing ready access to much needed technical knowledge for millions of readers.

ICT Update 92: Reflections on digitalisation

ICT Update 92: Reflections on digitalisation
Author: CTA
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 24
Release: 2019-10-03
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN:

For this issue, we reflect back on almost 20 years of ICT Update (nearly 100 issues). ICT Update’s objective has always been to capture contemporary developments in ICTs for agriculture; the trends, latest technologies and stories from the field. By looking back, we can see significant changes in the ICT4Ag landscape, and draw lessons on how to move forward and address ongoing challenges for inclusion, adoption and innovation. This issue highlights three of ICT Update’s recurring themes: learning; barriers for inclusion and adoption of ICTs; and innovation and entrepreneurship.

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization: A Framework for Africa

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization: A Framework for Africa
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2019-03-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251308713

This framework presents ten interrelated principles/elements to guide Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (SAMA). Further, it presents the technical issues to be considered under SAMA and the options to be analysed at the country and sub regional levels. The ten key elements required in a framework for SAMA are as follows: The analysis in the framework calls for a specific approach, involving learning from other parts of the world where significant transformation of the agricultural mechanization sector has already occurred within a three-to-four decade time frame, and developing policies and programmes to realize Africa’s aspirations of Zero Hunger by 2025. This approach entails the identification and prioritization of relevant and interrelated elements to help countries develop strategies and practical development plans that create synergies in line with their agricultural transformation plans. Given the unique characteristics of each country and the diverse needs of Africa due to the ecological heterogeneity and the wide range of farm sizes, the framework avoids being prescriptive.

Overcoming challenges to digital agribusiness start-ups

Overcoming challenges to digital agribusiness start-ups
Author: Kropff, Wietske
Publisher: CTA
Total Pages: 8
Release: 2019-03-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

The recent CTA workshop on ‘catalysing actionable knowledge to enhance next-generation ACP agribusiness through digitalisation’ identified five intersecting drivers that explain what farmer-oriented agribusinesses expect to achieve by investing in digitalisation: reduced risk, raised productivity, increased efficiency, improved decisions, and enhanced market access. Participants argued that digital interventions all serve one or more of these, depending on specific local needs and situations. A critical factor underpinning what works in all these areas is the economic sustainability of the business models used to deliver value and services.

FAO: Challenges and Opportunities in a Global World

FAO: Challenges and Opportunities in a Global World
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2019-05-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 925131411X

This illustrated volume identifies the challenges and opportunities facing food and agriculture in the context of the 2030 Agenda, presents solutions for a more sustainable world and shows how FAO has been working in recent years to support its Member Nations in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.