Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis

Potato sector has a substantial role in Kenya's agriculture, contributing to food security, nutrition, and the national economy. While underscoring the sector's vast potential, this Technical Brief identifies the existing gap between current yields and achievable targets, highlighting the necessity...

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Autor principal: Borus, Dinah
Formato: Informe técnico
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138067
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author Borus, Dinah
author_browse Borus, Dinah
author_facet Borus, Dinah
author_sort Borus, Dinah
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Potato sector has a substantial role in Kenya's agriculture, contributing to food security, nutrition, and the national economy. While underscoring the sector's vast potential, this Technical Brief identifies the existing gap between current yields and achievable targets, highlighting the necessity for strategic improvements in farming practices. It accentuates the transformative impact of digital tools in the agricultural landscape, notably accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitated by the widespread use of mobile technology and internet access in the country. In particular, this brief spotlights the Viazi Soko (VS) digital platform, an initiative specifically designed for the potato value chain, offering a range of services from e-advisory to market linkages. Despite the innovative features and strategic importance of digital platforms, the underlying research reveals a discrepancy in the adoption and utilization of digital tools among farmers, attributed to challenges such as limited awareness of these tools, low internet connectivity in rural areas, and the affordability of digital access. To bridge this digital divide, the report proposes targeted interventions to enhance the adoption of digital tools, focusing on increasing awareness, improving digital literacy, and establishing a potato-specific call center to provide real-time, tailored support to farmers. By advocating for a more integrated approach that combines digital innovation with farmer education and support, the report envisions a future where digital tools are leveraged to unlock the full potential of the potato sector in Kenya, leading to increased productivity, profitability, and a more robust contribution to the nation's food security and economic resilience.
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spelling CGSpace1380672025-04-08T15:28:41Z Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis Borus, Dinah potatoes digital technology agriculture information systems covid-19 food security Potato sector has a substantial role in Kenya's agriculture, contributing to food security, nutrition, and the national economy. While underscoring the sector's vast potential, this Technical Brief identifies the existing gap between current yields and achievable targets, highlighting the necessity for strategic improvements in farming practices. It accentuates the transformative impact of digital tools in the agricultural landscape, notably accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitated by the widespread use of mobile technology and internet access in the country. In particular, this brief spotlights the Viazi Soko (VS) digital platform, an initiative specifically designed for the potato value chain, offering a range of services from e-advisory to market linkages. Despite the innovative features and strategic importance of digital platforms, the underlying research reveals a discrepancy in the adoption and utilization of digital tools among farmers, attributed to challenges such as limited awareness of these tools, low internet connectivity in rural areas, and the affordability of digital access. To bridge this digital divide, the report proposes targeted interventions to enhance the adoption of digital tools, focusing on increasing awareness, improving digital literacy, and establishing a potato-specific call center to provide real-time, tailored support to farmers. By advocating for a more integrated approach that combines digital innovation with farmer education and support, the report envisions a future where digital tools are leveraged to unlock the full potential of the potato sector in Kenya, leading to increased productivity, profitability, and a more robust contribution to the nation's food security and economic resilience. 2023-12-31 2024-01-18T21:50:10Z 2024-01-18T21:50:10Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138067 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Borus, Dinah. 2023. Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis. Digital Innovation Technical Report. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
spellingShingle potatoes
digital technology
agriculture
information systems
covid-19
food security
Borus, Dinah
Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis
title Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis
title_full Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis
title_fullStr Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis
title_full_unstemmed Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis
title_short Digital tools in the potato value chain in Kenya: A landscape analysis
title_sort digital tools in the potato value chain in kenya a landscape analysis
topic potatoes
digital technology
agriculture
information systems
covid-19
food security
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138067
work_keys_str_mv AT borusdinah digitaltoolsinthepotatovaluechaininkenyaalandscapeanalysis