ROUND TWO!
On Specifics: Promising Trends and Challenges
CRS ICT4D Annual Conference
March 27th-March 29th, 2012
Cory Belden
The basics on technology
• Almost 6 billion people use mobile phones
• Playing ‘catch up’ with developing countries
• 80% of farmers have cell phones (IFPRI)
5
•
Internet is less accessible, but
is making progress (new fiber
optic cable)
•
SMS: low cost, local language
possible, & open source
software for broadcasting
•
Increases in app developers
and IT capacity
Mobile phone users in
developing countries (billion)
4
3
2
1
0
1995
2000
2005
2010
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
The basics on farmer usage
Malaysia: the relative importance of the use
of cell phones on a scale of 1-4
Improved prices
Wider Markets options
More systematic business operation
Dissemination new knowledge
Time saving
Knowledge of Technology
Securing Market Info
Extension channel
Updated information
Enhanced networking
Timely Access to Information
2.2
2.4
2.6
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
2.8
3
3.2
Diversity in the ‘How’ and ‘What’
Mobile Phones (SMS and voice)
• Real-time market research
• Push and pull information, M&E
• Hotlines for help or advice
• Forestry and governance, relief mgmt
Video and Radio
• Extension
• Learning/participation
• Alerts
GPS, Spatial Data, GIS, Satellite Imagery
• Soil and land use planning and management
• Spatial data + social indicators (M&E)
• Policy/infra. planning and analysis
Cameras
• M&E, contractor accountability
Tablets and Internet
• Data and research repositories
• Social media and networking/info hubs
• Accountability
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Empirical evidence: The Benefits
• Kilimo Salama (Kenya): production increase 50% (by using
insurance, SMS)
• e-Dairy (Sri Lanka): farmers earn up to $262 more a year for each of
their calves by providing veterinary and extension services (SMS)
• AgriManager (Kenya): average income growth of 9%; Over 2 min
reduction in transaction time (supply-chain solution, PDAs and Internet)
• Talking Books (Ghana): 91% of users applied new health or
agriculture practice (voice, extension)
• Digital Green (India): Approach leads to adoption 7 times more often
than conventional extension (video)
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Empirical Evidence: The Challenges
• RML: no price difference at public auctions. Plus, it employs more
than 300 full-time content professionals (SMS)
• Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools (OLT): UNLIKE OTHERS, is a highly
promising platform for m-ARD app providers– available in 42
countries.
• Talking Book (Ghana): Despite equity
goals, devices were not used or allocated
equally across genders and ages. Women
and the elderly used the devices least.
Some farmers said they did not apply
portions of the guidance because they
could not afford to…
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Only 16% of Apps have reached Sustainability
Becoming profitable or cost-effective!
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
85% of Revenue comes from noncommerical streams
Source of funding– will it matter?
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Lessons Learned from Sourcebook
Understand your users and their constraints
•Language, time availability, literacy, capacity needs, etc.
The enabling environment matters
• Getting reliable data is difficult
• Regulations increase/decrease costs of SMS messages
Sustainable business models & partnerships is critical—but how?
• Platform problem and MNOs
• Innovation hubs, grants, and contests, more competition
Be aware of differential impacts
• Including gender, age, socio-economic status
Internet still lagging in developing countries, but new ‘smart’ tools
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Annex 1: M&E & Extension Services
The GeoLocation Monitoring (GLM) System (Afghanistan)
• 11 districts of 11 provinces
• Sample of about 5,000 assets (e.g. orchards, poultry).
• Reduce falsification of reporting
• Create accurate resource maps
• Validate beneficiary participation
• Create electronic platform for project monitoring
Digital Green (India)
• Over 2,000 videos, 8-10 minutes long
• Can be played on battery operated DVD players
• Digital Green approach leads to adoption 7 times
more often than conv. Extension
• Reaches about 66,000 farmers
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Annex 2: Marketing & Supply-Chains
Reuters Market Light (India)
Virtual City AgrManager (Kenya)
Direct-selling approach; users register
for the service for a specific amount of
time. RML uses a bulk SMS service
provider to push messages to users of
any MNO.
Automates produce purchasing
transactions and reduce costs and
build trust btn buyers and suppliers.
Uses SMS, PDA, Internet, email to
exchange info
Customized weather information, crop
advisory, and commodity prices.
Farmers weigh tea and get paid at
local buying center, data retained
200,000+ subscribers in 13 states;
expect 2-3 billion USD in new wealth
9% increase in income for tea
farmers, transaction time reduced.
Crop advisory tips are sourced from
the Indian Council for Agriculture
Research and/ Punjab Ag. University
Virtual City and KTDA, others getting
involved now (dairy supply- .75 mil)
Invested at least USD 2 million; expect No need for profitability because the
that it will take a few more years to
solution was created for one-time only
break even (Dingra, 2009).
purchase
www.ICTinAgriculture.org
Annex 3: Benefits, Marketing
Location, product, medium
Farmer
Peru, range of enterprises, public phones
+ 13%
India (West Bengal), potatoes, SMS
+ 19%
Philippines, range of crops, cell phones
India (Madhya Pradesh), soybeans, webbased e-Choupal
Sri Lanka, vegetables, SMS
Consumer
+ 11-17%
+ 1-5% (ave: 1.6%)
+ 23.4%
Morocco, range of crops, cell phone
+ 21%
India (Kerala), fisheries, cell phones
+ 8%
Uganda, range of crops, SMS and radio
Trader
-4%
Bananas + 36%
Beans + 16.5% Maize
+ 17% Coffee + 19%
Niger, grains, cell phones
+ 29%
Ghana, traders, cell phones
+ 36%
-3 to -4.5%