ICT for Agriculture

22 Nov

ICT in agriculture:

The application of ICT in agriculture is very important; for it can enhance and improve the education and knowledge in rural farming and sustainable development.  Advancement in ICT can be utilized for providing accurate timely, relevant information and services to farmers (Fountas, Pedersen & Blackmore, 2005), to which can aid in overcoming communication barriers.  The importance of ICT in agriculture can aid in maximizing growth and collaboration of locals. For example, farmers can use the Internet to map and study migratory paths.  The ability to share innovative knowledge in other areas can advance in the ability to quickly communicate distress and emergency situation (Stienen, Bruinsma, & Neman, 2007).  .

ICT play an important role in addressing issues that protect the ecosystem; by empowering, educating, and improving the lifestyle of locals and farming practices.    Raising awareness through informative technological usage can impact companies; by acknowledging their mismanagement of natural resources (Stienen, Bruinsma, & Neman, 2007).  It is understood that farming is the primary economic activity for majority of people in the poorest parts of the world (Stienen, Bruinsma, & Neman, 2007).  With traditional knowledge, developing countries, particularly rural communities, can localize the information sharing and collaboration by trust and engagement (Stienen, Bruinsma, & Neman, 2007).    The role of ICT in agriculture is to enhance food security and support rural livelihoods (Stienen, Bruinsma, & Neman, 2007).  ICT in agriculture would also impact by connecting smallholders to knowledge, networks, and institutions (Ollo-López & Aramendía-Muneta, 2012).

 

http://www.ictinagriculture.org/ictinag/content/featured-application

This website identifies and discusses the recent innovations in ICT that have potential use to agriculture and rural development (The World Bank Group, 2012).  It is recognized that natural disasters can happen expectantly.  However, with the help of mobile phones in rural regions; services and information can receive extreme weather updates (The World Bank Group, 2012).  ICT in agriculture would not only be focused on rural communities, but also strengthen and create stakeholders to provide information to predict and alert communities during climatic disasters (The World Bank, 2012).  Early warning systems such as incorporating mobile phone; would overcome barriers in communication accurately and timely weather information to rural farmers (The World Bank, 2012).

 

References

  1. Fountas, S., Pedersen, S. M., & Blackmore, S. (2005). ICT in Precision Agriculture–diffusion of technology. ICT in agriculture: perspective of technological innovation, E. Gelb and A. Offer (eds), Retrieved from http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/economics/gelb-main.html
  2.  Ollo-López , A. and Aramendía-Muneta, M.E. (2012).   ICT Impact on Competitiveness, Innovation and Environment. Telematics and Informatics. 29 (2), 204-210.
  3. The World Bank Group. (2012). ICT for Rural Disaster Preparedness. Retrieved from http://www.ictinagriculture.org/ictinag/content/featured-application
  4. Stienen, J., Bruinsma, W. & Neman, F. (2007).  International Institution for Communication and Development.  How ICT can make a difference in agricultural livelihoods.  http://www.globalgender.org/upload/%7B89B4F9C3-B4A4-49A6-A1E2-E1E074DF3368%7D_ICT%20and%20agricultural%20livelihoods.pdf

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