The era of ICT4D (ICT4Ag) has laid a strong foundation for a new era and it is time for the international development sector to embrace a new terminology and approach – D4D (D4Ag).
Digital agriculture to help Africa through coronavirus
Originally written by Benjamin Addom and Sabdiyo Dido, and published by CTA on Tuesday, 28 April 2020 As COVID-19 continues to devastate lives all over the world, agriculture and food systems come under critical strain. Recessions, food shortages, hunger and malnutrition are feared to be likely, with grave impact on vulnerable communities in developing regions…
CTA’s expertise informs concept for new International Digital Council for Food and Agriculture
Originally published by CTA on Thursday, 12 March 2020 Extensive consultation with CTA and other stakeholders has resulted in a concept note for the establishment of a new International Digital Council for Food and Agriculture. Once operationalised, the Digital Council will advise governments and other relevant actors with the aim of realising the immense potential…
How Local Farmers Innovate!
Originally written by Benjamin Addom in 2010. I conducted a study recently in over 50 rural communities from three regions in Ghana to understand how local farmer innovate. Below is the process that I have identified through interviews and focus group discussions. The local farmers usually make attempts to address their problems when faced with…
Innovative digitalisation project transitions into promising business
Originally published by CTA on Wednesday, 11 July 2019 A recurring question in agricultural development is how to transition successful donor-funded initiatives into self-sustaining, smallholder-focused businesses. One of CTA’s most innovative digitalisation projects, the Market-led, User-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Service (MUIIS), is proving it can be done. The MUIIS project was established in September 2015 with support from…
Why Europe should partner the world’s smallholders to adopt big tech
Originally written on Monday, 4 February 2019 Despite the rise of industrial and intensive farming, it is the world’s 800 million smallholder farmers who continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of global food security. Family farms with modest plots of land make up around 90 per cent of all agricultural operations and are responsible for producing more…
ACP agribusiness digitalisation – Big data analytics a pathway towards sustainability
Originally written on Tuesday, 11 December 2018 In his five years working on ICT for Agriculture (ICT4Ag) at CTA, Benjamin Addom has seen plenty of digital agricultural projects come and go. Here he discusses what it takes to ensure that promising ICT4Ag initiatives have staying power – and how big data analytics can help make…
Attracting private sector investment to digitalise African farming
Originally written on Friday, 7 December 2018 Agriculture in Africa presents a unique investment opportunity. The African Center for Economic Transformation estimates that the continent holds around 600 million hectares of uncultivated arable land, representing almost 65 per cent of the global total. Of the land already cultivated, close to 95 per cent is still rainfed,…
Creating ICT opportunities with the apps4ag database
Originally written on Wednesday, 21 June 2017 In ICT Update and on websites as ICT4D, CTA has covered the explosive growth and proliferation of digital and mobile phone technologies for agriculture. Now CTA takes the next step with developing the Apps4Ag database, a comprehensive, up-to-date and responsive database of ICTs including mobile, web, animation, audio,…
Alternative extension models vs. ICT enabled systems
Originally written on Thursday, 8 June 2017 There is no doubt that agricultural extension and advisory services (EAS) have been going through a tumultuous crisis over the past years. But, from my over 25 years of experience as a farmer, agricultural extension practitioner, and ICT for development specialist, I have come to believe ICTs are…
Digitalisation and Smallholder Agriculture 