On Specifics: Promising Trends and Challenges

1. ROUND TWO! On Specifics: Promising Trends and Challenges CRS ICT4D Annual Conference March 27th-March 29th, 2012 Cory Belden

2. The basics on technology • Almost 6 billion people use mobile phones • Playing ‘catch up’ with developing countries • 80% of farmers have cell phones (IFPRI) • 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 www.ICTinAgriculture.org

3. The basics on farmer usage www.ICTinAgriculture.org

4. 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 • 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 • Video and Radio • Extension • Learning/participation • Alerts www.ICTinAgriculture.org

5. 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): Approachleads to adoption 7 times more often than conventional extension (video) www.ICTinAgriculture.org

6. 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

7. Only 16% of Apps have reached Sustainability Becoming profitable or cost-effective! www.ICTinAgriculture.org

8. 85% of Revenue comes from noncommerical streams Source of funding– will it matter? www.ICTinAgriculture.org

9. 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

10. www.ICTinAgriculture.org

11. 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

12. Annex 2: Marketing & Supply-Chains www.ICTinAgriculture.org

13. Annex 3: Benefits, Marketing