Practical Insights on ICTforAg

agriculutre technology innovation

What is ICTforAg?

ICTforAg is using information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture development interventions. ICTforAg projects aim to increase food security by helping smallholder farmers use modern agritech farming methods and access markets. These solutions encompass agricultural value chains and include adjacent technologies like digital financial services, big data, and geographic information systems.

ICTforAg solutions in the development sector help countries achieve the Sustainable Development goals. Solutions often focus on agriculture extension agent services for farmers to learn about agriculture technologies and innovation. ICTs can amplify the efforts of agricultural extension agents who work directly with farmers across the entire value chain from planing what crops to grow, to sourcing inputs for crop cultivation, to selling it in the market.

Why is ICTforAg Important?

Smallholder farmers have limited resources and often live in underserved and remote areas. They have limited knowledge, services, and technologies available to them, and typically need support to adopt modern farming methodologies. Agricultural extension services are usually inadequate , with less than one extension agent per 1000 farmers .

Climate change is now impacting more farmers, particularly the most vulnerable, so there is greater need for reaching farmers with information and services that can improve their food security. ICTforAg can play a crucial role in supporting farmers to access new inputs, credit, and markets with personalized and customized services.

Examples of ICTforAg in Food Security Programs

The potential to achieve high impact at the farm-level requires appropriate technology and adoption methodologies. Please find below an ever-increasing list of successful ICTforAg solutions.

There Are No Data Unicorns in Agriculture

There Are No Data Unicorns in Agriculture

Published on: Jun 07 2018 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
At a recent gathering in Houston, I spoke with a guy who told me his company is looking for a data unicorn. The term encapsulates what an ideal data scientist is:...
9 Lessons Learned From Failed ICTforAg Interventions

9 Lessons Learned From Failed ICTforAg Interventions

Published on: Jun 06 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on 9 Lessons Learned From Failed ICTforAg Interventions
The potential for ICTs in agricultural development is almost endless and numerous applications are being developed and deployed. However, whilst everyone would...
Don’t Miss These Exciting Sessions: Register Now for ICTforAg 2018!

Don’t Miss These Exciting Sessions: Register Now for ICTforAg 2018!

Published on: Jun 04 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Don’t Miss These Exciting Sessions: Register Now for ICTforAg 2018!
Blockchain, drones, data-driven precision agriculture – the ICTforAg conference has revolved around major breakthroughs and evolving trends in agriculture...
What is Our Role in Protecting Farmer Data Privacy and Security?

What is Our Role in Protecting Farmer Data Privacy and Security?

Published on: May 30 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on What is Our Role in Protecting Farmer Data Privacy and Security?
In value chains with high levels of competition, agribusiness field agents and other buyers often collect a wide range of information on farmers. For example, new...
6 Reasons to Join TechChange Course on Agriculture, Innovation, and Technology

6 Reasons to Join TechChange Course on Agriculture, Innovation, and Technology

Published on: May 21 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on 6 Reasons to Join TechChange Course on Agriculture, Innovation, and Technology
Smallholder farmers make up over half of the world’s food-insecure populations in developing countries. These farmers face numerous challenges: decreasing land...
FAO Guide: How to Have Gender and ICT Success in Agriculture

FAO Guide: How to Have Gender and ICT Success in Agriculture

Published on: May 14 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on FAO Guide: How to Have Gender and ICT Success in Agriculture
Beginning in 2003, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in its plan on action on gender and development, was flagging the changes...
Apply Now! $11 Million in Grant Funding for Your Technology Projects from USAID, DFID, GSMA

Apply Now! $11 Million in Grant Funding for Your Technology Projects from USAID, DFID, GSMA

Published on: Mar 28 2018 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
We are excited to bring you five different grant funding opportunities to support your technology for development projects in disaster response, Internet connectivity,...
Please Register Now: ICTforAg 2018 – New Technology for Smallholder Farmers

Please Register Now: ICTforAg 2018 – New Technology for Smallholder Farmers

Published on: Mar 14 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Please Register Now: ICTforAg 2018 – New Technology for Smallholder Farmers
Please sign up to present or register to attend ICTforAg 2018 on June 14th, at FHI 360 in Washington, DC This one-day conference will build on ICTforAg 2015, 2016,...
Creating Killer Content for ICT4D Project Success – Your Weekend Long Reads

Creating Killer Content for ICT4D Project Success – Your Weekend Long Reads

Published on: Feb 03 2018 by Steve Vosloo - 2 Comments
Creating killer content is critical to ICT4D success. One of the major barriers to digital uptake is a lack of incentives to go online because of a lack of relevant...
Two Blockchain Use Cases for Self-Sovereign Digital Identities

Two Blockchain Use Cases for Self-Sovereign Digital Identities

Published on: Jan 31 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Two Blockchain Use Cases for Self-Sovereign Digital Identities
Of all the emerging technologies that are likely to shape the future of international development, blockchain is certainly at the peak of inflated expectations....