Background document on e-agriculture strategies in the ACP by Benjamin Addom

1. The State of e-Agriculture
Strategies in ACP
(Background Report)
Benjamin K Addom
ICT4D Programme Coordinator, CTA
2013 ICT Observatory: Strengthening e-Agriculture
Strategies in ACP Countries
24th
April 2013, Hotel Hof Wageningen

2. ∗ The importance of e-Agriculture (very high)
∗ Very low interest/understanding of the need for
e-Agriculture strategies (few years back)
∗ There are e-strategy development initiatives
with different names & approaches (now)
∗ But the agricultural sector lags behind other
sectors such as health, education governance
(ITU, 2010)
What do we know?

3. ∗ Health (e-Health)
∗ Toolkit for e-Health strategies (WHO/ITU)
∗ National e-Health strategies e.g. Lithuania, Ghana
∗ Education (e-Learning)
∗ Jordan Education Initiative
∗ Governance (e-Government)
∗ COMESA (guideline for developing e-Government strategies)
∗ National e-Government strategies e.g. India
∗ What difference are these e-strategies making?
E-strategies in other sectors

4. Legend
1 = Awareness Creation; 2 = Visioning/Formulation; 3 = Approval; 4 =
Implementation; 5 = Monitoring & Evaluation
The state of e-Agriculture strategies

5. Country Importance of e-
Agriculture
Experience with e-
Ag. strategy
Current
status of e-
Ag. strategy
Leading
agency/agencies
Ghana • ICT4AD policy
document 2003
• E-Agriculture
applications
• 2005 – “Ghana ICTs in
Ag. Implementation
Strategy”
• 2007/08 – Draft Report
Awaiting
approval
Council for Scientific
and Industrial
Research (CSIR)
Ivory
Coast
• National Information
and Communication
Infrastructure (NICI)
Plan 2000
• 2012 - National
Strategy Document for
e.Agriculture
Awaiting
approval
Ministry of Post,
Information Technology
and Communication,
and the Ministry of
Agriculture
Rwanda • ICT4D policy
document 2000
• NICI I, II, III (2000-
2015)
• On-going
consultation for a
Strategic Plan for
Agricultural
Transformation
Formulation Ministry of Agriculture
and Animal Resources
(MINAGRI) in
collaboration with other
sectors
St. Lucia • National ICT
Strategy (2010-
2015)
• Regional ICT4D
Strategy (2010)
• None Awareness
creation
(needed)
N/A
Fiji • Information
Technology Policy
(2001-2011)
• The 2011 National
Broadband Policy
• None Awareness
creation
(needed)
N/A

6. Country Importance of e-
Agriculture
Experience with
e-Ag. strategy
Current
status of e-
Ag. strategy
Leading
agency/agencie
s
India • National ICT
policy
• Policy to ensure
infrastructure
• Policy to ensure
high-speed
Internet
• National
Agricultural
Informatics
Framework
Formulation The National
Informatics Center
(NIC)
Bangladesh • National ICT
policy
Digital Bangladesh Awareness
creation
Katalyst (private
company) &
Agriculture
Information
Service (public)
Bolivia 2002* -
ICT strategy for the
agriculture sector
Implementation IICD

7. Issues & Challenges
General lack of interest
by stakeholders
Lack of understanding
of the potential of e-
Agriculture
Institutional and political
structures
Regulatory changes in
the absence of formal
policies
Poor collaboration
between ministries of
ICTs and Agriculture
Scarcity of electricity
supply
Poor ICT infrastructure
Low ICT literacy
Lack of relevant content
Non-integration of
services
Lack of advisory
services
Issues of localisation of
ICTs
Resource mobilisation
Formulation Implementation

8. Orientations and target areas
General production system
Marketing/market research
Commodity specific e.g. cassava, fisheries
Farm health management informatics
Infrastructure and universal access
Training, capacity building, R&D
Forest and water resource management
Post-harvest & risk management
Local content

9. Recommendations
Be part of the the WSIS forum in May 2013
Commission a more detailed case study
Create a global level task force and national level committees
Build a national e-Agriculture policy toolkit
Create awareness
Ensure local leadership in the entire process
Factor in the why, which, how, and what questions of e-
Agriculture

10. Thanks
Ben