e-Agriculture strategies

and agriculture Open data

Ken Lohento, CTA

Geneva, WSIS Forum 2015

Legend 1 = Awareness Creation; 2 = Visioning/Formulation; 3 = Approval; 4 = Implementation; 5 = Monitoring & Evaluation

States of e-agriculture strategy development (2013 study)

Study: Open Data and Smallholder Food and Nutritional Security

Open data for smallholder farmers

 Open Definition’s  “data that can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone – subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and share alike

the report sets out to examine the degree to which more freely available data could be of use to smallholder households and the current impact of existing open data initiatives. 

Findings• The study found that, despite the potential value of

open data to smallholder farmers in developing countries being high, there are few readily available examples of direct impact on food and nutrition security of smallholders.

• However, there is a clear indirect benefit of open data usage for smallholders, including the contribution to better governance

• Some data on open space and meteorological data – International data

Overview study on Open data in the Caribbean

More info on the open data reports

See CTA website

http://www.cta.int/images/Open_Data_Carib_new_cover.pdf

http://www.cta.int/images/Opendataforsmallholders-report_.pdf

Lessons learned• Strong collaboration between the Ministry of ICT and the

Ministry of Agriculture

• Multiplicity of authorities for the agricultural sector seems a hindrance for the holistic e-agriculture strategy implementation

• Focus, if needed, on sub-sectoral strategies, but holistic vision needed

• Political leadership of the ministry(ies) of Agriculture

• Addressing strategically short term status of political mandates in many countries

• Make strategy development comprehensive but not cumbersome and too lengthy

• focus on the services to be developed, improving the experiences of the beneficiaries

• The newest, most elaborate, or most innovative technology is not usually the most appropriate

• affordability and access, shared access important• Better use of Universal access funds• Device convergence, Service convergence and

Network convergence• Attract private investments – PPP• Youth is a key drivers of e-agriculture projects

success

Lessons learned

Thank you

lohento@cta.int

www.cta.int