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Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture

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Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture A Report to the G20 Agricultural Deputies 1 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture A Report to the G20 Agricultural Deputies Prepared by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with inputs from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2017 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-109979-7 © FAO, 2017 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. This publication has been printed using selected products and processes so as to ensure minimal environmental impact and to promote sustainable forest management. Photo credit: ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano Preparation of the Document This report responds to the request by the G20 Agricultural Ministers to FAO, IFPRI and OECD in June 2016 to build on their preliminary assessment of existing ICT applications and platforms and make specific proposals for consideration and action by G20 Agriculture Deputies ahead of the next G20 Agricultural Ministers meeting on the best possible mechanism to improve agricultural ICT exchange and cooperation. The report is organized as follows: (i) The section Summary, Evaluation and Recommendations is targeted to policy makers and draws from the detailed review undertaken in Sections 1 to 4 of the report. It provides a succinct but comprehensive account of ICTs in agriculture, including evaluating their impact. It identifies gaps, and puts forward a number of recommendations for the G20 in line with the G20 comparative advantage for collective action. Policies and measures to promote ICTs are crucial for the G20 economies and for agriculture in particular. G20 Ministers of Agriculture can take action to integrate ICTs in agricultural policies and initiatives. The report makes a number of recommendations for concrete actions in the area of ICTs that promote sustainable food systems and contribute to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (ii) Sections 1 to 4 contain a detailed, albeit not exhaustive review of ICTs in agriculture. There is plethora of ICT applications on agriculture, ranging from using radio to satellite remote sensing, and in Section 2 every effort has been made to provide a comprehensive picture through the discussion of selected applications. Section 3 reviews the platforms and initiatives that promote the use of ICTs, and Section 4 examines governance issues specifically related to principles, rights and privacy. A number of Annexes provide more detail to the reader on a number of areas related to governance. iii Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 2 ICT in agriculture ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 ICT in agriculture: developing countries .................................................................................................... 3 ICT in agriculture: developed countries ..................................................................................................... 9 3 Platforms and selected programmes facilitating ICT applications in agriculture ........................ 12 4 Governance ................................................................................................................................................................ 18 International fora on Internet governance .............................................................................................. 21 Human rights, privacy and ethics ................................................................................................................ 23 Annex 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..27 Annex 2…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..30 Annex 3…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..32 v Summary, evaluation and recommendations World population is expected to surpass the 9 billion mark by 2050, and agriculture has to increase the production of nutritious food to meet the growing demand and ensure food security for all. It has to generate jobs, improve incomes and contribute to poverty eradication and rural economic growth. And it has a major role to play in the sustainable management of natural resources. Most of the increase in food production will have to take place in developing countries. Agriculture is increasingly becoming knowledge-intensive and millions of smallholder farmers around the world are confronted by constraints such as poor access to markets and financial services, low levels of human and physical capital, poor access to education and weak information flows. With missing markets, low skills and weak capacity, agriculture across the developing world will have to overcome a number of challenges in the future. The information needs of farmers in both developing and developed countries will only increase as they have to make more and more complex decisions on how to use their land, what crops to produce and how, in which markets to buy inputs and sell their products. Their decisions, which also include choices on how to finance their business and reduce the risk they face, impact the livelihoods of their families and society. ICTs in development and agriculture ICTs have been a significant contributor to growth and socio-economic development in business sectors, countries and regions where they are well adopted and integrated. Nearly 40 percent of the global population has access to the Internet, and among the bottom fifth of the poor, 7 out of 10 households have a mobile phone.1 The large adoption and integration of ICTs has reduced information and transaction costs, improved service delivery, created new jobs, generated new revenue streams and saved resources. In agriculture and food sectors across the world, ICT companies, multinational farm input business, large machinery manufacturers, but also small and medium farm input suppliers provide a number of services to farmers through ICTs, including extension advice. Downstream, supermarkets and agricultural product buyers also engage in the food value chain through ICTs, where the technology is also used by farmers’ cooperatives, international organizations, the civil society and governments to effectively provide information on many aspects of farming, including regulation (see Section 2, pp. 14-22 for a description of selected ICT applications on agriculture). ICTs have transformed how businesses, people and governments work. They reduce transaction costs and facilitate communication. People can be informed and communicate with each other at significantly lower costs than before. With this, digital technologies promote efficiency and inclusion – many tasks can be carried out at low costs and many services can reach people that previously lacked access. In rural Niger, agricultural price information obtained through mobile phones reduces search costs by 50 percent.2 In Senegal, a website facilitates vulnerable communities’ access to information on climate change adaptation. It supports a community of practice where members can share updates 1World Bank Group (2016). Digital Dividends. World Development Report 2016. 2 Aker, J.C, and I.M. Mbiti (2010). "Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(3): 207-32. viii on their work and adaptation techniques. In India, timely access to accurate weather information by smallholders can come a long way in helping them to manage uncertainty and risk.3 At broader level, digital technology tapping into satellite imagery is revolutionizing the way countries can assess, monitor and plan the use of their natural resources, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. Access to easy-to-use digital tools that monitor forest cover, land- use patterns and
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