ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges

This article presents the main findings from a meta-review study of 15 agricultural development projects that employed a diversity of information and communications technology (ICT) tools in combination with other interventions to scale up innovations in low-income smallholder agriculture, predomina...

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Main Authors: Shilomboleni, Helena, Pelletier, Bernard, Gebru, Berhane
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: USC ANNENBERG PRESS 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/109615
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author Shilomboleni, Helena
Pelletier, Bernard
Gebru, Berhane
author_browse Gebru, Berhane
Pelletier, Bernard
Shilomboleni, Helena
author_facet Shilomboleni, Helena
Pelletier, Bernard
Gebru, Berhane
author_sort Shilomboleni, Helena
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This article presents the main findings from a meta-review study of 15 agricultural development projects that employed a diversity of information and communications technology (ICT) tools in combination with other interventions to scale up innovations in low-income smallholder agriculture, predominately in sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, the study finds that interactive ICT tools and platforms are valuable in their capacity to improve the quality of agricultural extension and climate information services and, as such, can help smallholder farmers better manage predicted risks on the farm and elsewhere in the agriculture sector. The scope of impact in most of these projects, however, was largely premised on the numbers of beneficiaries reached (e.g., with information pertaining to an innovation). The efficacy of scaled-up results to achieve positive, long-lasting livelihood impacts in smallholder agriculture is more complex, and often requires effecting systemwide change on multiple dimensions, e.g., in societal values, institutional arrangements, market relations, and policy decision making. The scaling process here requires long-term attention, even if the impacts are not immediately apparent.
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spelling CGSpace1096152025-11-13T10:38:23Z ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges Shilomboleni, Helena Pelletier, Bernard Gebru, Berhane food security agriculture climate change gender This article presents the main findings from a meta-review study of 15 agricultural development projects that employed a diversity of information and communications technology (ICT) tools in combination with other interventions to scale up innovations in low-income smallholder agriculture, predominately in sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, the study finds that interactive ICT tools and platforms are valuable in their capacity to improve the quality of agricultural extension and climate information services and, as such, can help smallholder farmers better manage predicted risks on the farm and elsewhere in the agriculture sector. The scope of impact in most of these projects, however, was largely premised on the numbers of beneficiaries reached (e.g., with information pertaining to an innovation). The efficacy of scaled-up results to achieve positive, long-lasting livelihood impacts in smallholder agriculture is more complex, and often requires effecting systemwide change on multiple dimensions, e.g., in societal values, institutional arrangements, market relations, and policy decision making. The scaling process here requires long-term attention, even if the impacts are not immediately apparent. 2020 2020-09-23T20:42:49Z 2020-09-23T20:42:49Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/109615 en Open Access USC ANNENBERG PRESS Shilomboleni H, Pelletier B, Gebru B. 2020. ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges. Information Technologies & International Development 16:47-65.
spellingShingle food security
agriculture
climate change
gender
Shilomboleni, Helena
Pelletier, Bernard
Gebru, Berhane
ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges
title ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges
title_full ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges
title_fullStr ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges
title_full_unstemmed ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges
title_short ICT4Scale in Smallholder Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges
title_sort ict4scale in smallholder agriculture contributions and challenges
topic food security
agriculture
climate change
gender
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/109615
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AT gebruberhane ict4scaleinsmallholderagriculturecontributionsandchallenges