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Section 2 Pathways out of Po 2 Pathways out of Rural Poverty: Proposed Information Projects Generated by the Workshop in Livingstone, Zambia The international workshop in Livingstone, Zambia, November 11-16, 2007, was the culmination of the WorldAgInfo project’s major activities to identify the critical challenges and potential solutions for improving the flow of information to and from smallholder farmers in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas the Cornell workshop focused on strengthening the content of agricultural education/ curriculum and information systems to meet the needs of smallholder farmers, the workshop in Zambia focused on delivery. Drawing on the “solution scenarios” or project concepts developed at the Cornell workshop (see Section 3), participants in Zambia generated the following set of proposed information projects. We feel they represent a strong combination of feasibility, evidence of previous success and the potential for impact and scaling. 2 Proposals Preceding the full descriptions of the proposed initiatives are “At-a-Glance” summary versions for quick reference. The agenda and list of participants for the workshop in Zambia are provided at the end of the section. Proposed Support Initiatives 1. World AgInfo Systems 2. Market Information: Value-Chain Information Systems for Agriculture (VISA) 3. Real-Time Delivery of Agricultural Information to Smallholder Farmers in South Asia and Africa through Community Knowledge Workers 4. Indian Institute of Agricultural Management (IIAM) 5. Facilitated Multimedia Instruction to Support University Agriculture Curricula 6. Collaborative Content Generation: Building Digital Agricultural Content Modules 7. Improving Agriculture Literature Systems in South Asia and Africa 8. Multimedia Knowledge Exchange Systems for Smallholder Farmers 9. Mobile Phones with Bundled Agriculture Information Systems 10. Community Radio Support Systems 11. New Agriculture Skills by Radio for Smallholder Farmers 12. Soil Testing Probes for Smallholder Farmers 16 2 At a Glance: Proposal Summaries WorldAgInfo Systems: A Catalyst for Smallholder 1. Agricultural Innovations WorldAgInfo Systems is the project that provides technical and administrative support to other WorldAgInfo proposal projects. WorldAgInfo Systems will provide 1) administration and coordination of approved WorldAgInfo projects; 2) software and technology standards/processes to meet the needs of the approved projects; and 3) evaluate best practices and information sharing among projects and with the wider development community. This project will require a physical presence via a relationship with an established institution in South Asia and Africa. Central functions of WorldAgInfo Systems would be undertaken by people in roles such as program director, technical advisor and evaluation specialist. This proposal provides the mechanisms for shared learning and collaboration that will allow the individual projects to adjust to the rapidly changing agricultural information landscape. Problems Solutions Feedback Mechanisms � Agricultural information ��WorldAgInfo Systems ��Given that most of lacks strong support will provide technical the services provided networks or foundations and administrative are for specific projects, oversight to ensure all the performance of � Projects are project needs are met those services can implemented without be determined by oversight or built-in ��Create technical and the degrees to which sustainability measures procedural standards agreed deliverables ��Regional ��Form partnerships have been met communication in service areas to ��Feedback from the about initiatives are ensure projects do specific projects can be frequently unknown not exist in a vacuum in the forms of and unrecognized � Describe and membership on advisory ��Projects are difficult to distribute information boards and through scale and transport on project successes periodic surveys to other communities for scaling purposes Beneficiaries Potential Partners � Women’s associations � Frontline support staff and networks � Universities and colleges ��Farmer’s associations ��Private and public ��Rural chambers of institutions commerce ��NGOs/CBOs ��Private sector service providers 17 2 At a Glance: Proposal Summaries Market Information: Value-Chain Information System 2. for Agriculture This proposal develops a Value-Chain Information System for Agriculture (VISA). VISA extends new income opportunities to smallholder farmers and other stakeholders by applying tried-and-true principles of value chains to current market information systems. VISA will provide information on new market opportunities (prices, product characteristics sought by consumers, identification of reliable trading partners), as well as information on what farmers and other actors within the value chain need to respond to these opportunities (e.g., improved crop varieties, links to research systems, links to institutional support). VISA will also distribute information to help formulate policies for value-chain development while simultaneously furnishing feedback mechanisms. VISA’s vision represents a paradigm shift away from a supply to a demand-driven market information system, creating value and incentives for all stakeholders. Problems Solutions Feedback Mechanisms � “New Agriculture” ��Establish local VISA ��Taskforce feedback has shifted from open offices in rural and urban surveys measuring commodity markets areas and coordinated participatory willingness through a central office and perceived benefits ��Farmers face a lack of information about: ��Demand-driven ��Production and ���������� approach allows marketing data will ������������������������ farmers to respond measure production �������������������������������� to new opportunites ��Evaluate production �������������������������� ��VISA officers would sales and growth ��Supply driven approach serve as information between VISA and is antiquated because brokers for farmers non-VISA participants smallholder farmers are � Information ��Growth in employment no longer exclusively disseminated to its products and services dependent on stakeholders through conditions at ��Smallholder income multiple media such the local level changes as local radio, SMS, and mobile phone Beneficiaries Potential Partners � Smallholder farmers, � Extension services especially women � Universities and ��Small-scale businesses technical training institutes ��Agricultural extension agents ��National Agricultural Research System ��Agricultural researchers ��Private and public institutions ��Private sector 18 2 At a Glance: Proposal Summaries Real-Time Delivery of Agricultural Information to Smallholder Farmers in South Asia and Africa through 3. Community Knowledge Workers This proposal outlines a project to enhance real-time delivery of agricultural information to smallholders in Africa and South Asia through village-based knowledge systems. Implemented by trained community knowledge workers (CKWs), village-based systems will operate either through existing community development platforms or by creating new village knowledge centers (VKCs) in partnership with the local community and stakeholders that support smallholders. Guided by strategies to ensure long-term sustainability and practical “on the ground” application of new information and communication technology tools, this proposal tests multiple models of VKCs and training of CKWs. Using a bottom-up and participatory approach, CKWs will provide real- time information to smallholders, focusing on women and youth members of the farm families. Problems Solutions Feedback Mechanisms � Agricultural information ��VKCs will serve as an ��Formal evaluation does not reach villages information bridge measures such as VKC in a timely manner between smallholders membership trends and stakeholders � Information is ��Fluctuations in serving them not site specific smallholder productivity ��Trained CKWs provide and income sources ��Smallholder feedback real-time information is rarely received � Informal farmer and encourage and circulated feedback will be participatory among stakeholders gathered through the information sharing use of independent ��Community foundations ��Content informed evaluations are not in place to take by smallholders and advantage of � Community metrics site-specific needs information will determine external communication � CKWs will provide resources leveraged and technologies (ICTs) practical ICT application used by VKCs training for smallholders Beneficiaries Potential Partners � Smallholder farm � Farmer’s associations families, especially and other community women and youth based organizations � Stakeholders who � Local universities support smallholder and NGOs farmers ��Private sector ��Community ��ICT providers knowledge workers ��Local and national governments 19 2 At a Glance: Proposal Summaries 4. The Indian Institute of Agricultural Management This proposal focuses on a new model of higher agricultural education in South Asia with special emphasis on India. The Indian Institute of Agricultural Management (IIAM) aims to improve the quality and relevance of higher agricultural education and is to be patterned on highly successful Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) that have attained an international level of quality. IIAM will admit students from South Asia for undergraduate and graduate degree programs and non- degree courses, and academic staff will pursue action research that focuses on improving the lives and livelihoods of
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