1. The role of ICTs in dissemination of
information on Ecological Organic
Agriculture
Hudson Wereh
Project Assist; Biovision Farmer Communication Programme
Stakeholder Inception Planning Workshop
17-18 MAY, 2012 Kakamega, Kenya

2. What is ICT?
ICT (Information & Communication
Technology /Technologies) is an
umbrella term that includes any
communication device or
application, encompassing: radio,
television, cellular phones,
computer and network hardware
and software, satellite systems
and etc, as well as the various
services and applications
associated with them, such as
videoconferencing and distance
learning.

3. Over the last 10 - 15 years, ICT has
changed the way the world works, plays,
communicates and shops. Many of these
changes are seen the world over, some
are restricted to more advanced countries.
These changes have been so pervasive
that it is hard to remember what the world
was like without them.

4. The Nairobi declaration on agricultural
extension & advisory services, Nov 2011
The need for enhanced use of ICT both
old and new, and engagement of the
media in expanding the reach and
impact of extension and advisory
services.

5. Relevant entry points for ICT
•Enhancing Agricultural Production
•Improving Markets
•Building Farmer Capacities

6. Enhancing Agricultural Production
• Intervention; Increasing efficiency,
productivity and sustainability of small scale
farms.
• How; information about pest and disease
control, especially early warning systems, new
varieties, new ways to optimize production
and regulations for quality control

7. Improving Markets
• Intervention; better of markets resulting from
informed decisions about future crops and
commodities and best time and place to sell
and buy goods
• up-to-date market information on; prices for
commodities, inputs and consumer trends

8. Capacity Building
• Strengthen capacities and better representation
of their constituencies when negotiating input
and output prices, land claims, resource rights
and infrastructure projects.
• Reduce social isolation, widen the perspective of
local communities in terms of national or global
developments, open up new business
opportunities and allow easier contact with
friends and relatives

9. ICT in the context of FCP
• The Biovision Farmer Communication
Programme has already embraced and
integrated the use of ICT in its projects.

10. Infonet-Biovision

11. Interfaces to mobile phones and
call centres – ASK TOF

12. Print: The Organic Farmer (TOF)

13. Radio: TOF Radio
Started in 2008, TOF radio is a
weekly radio show broadcasted on
the national Kenya Broadcasting
Corporation
(KBC) Kiswahili… Service (every
Thursday from 8.15 to 8.30 pm)
Radio Milele (every Tuesday from
8.30 to 8.45 pm).

14. Farmer learning resource centres /
i-TOF Centres:
This consists of rural based centres
managed by TOF and infonet community
information workers equipped with
facilitation skills to train farmers and also to
enable… them to access information
through multimedia equipment, particularly
desktop computers and OLPC (One Laptop
Per Child) and other ICTs.

15. Conditions for a conducive
enabling environment
• Need for relevant agricultural Information.
• Timely information in relevant formats –
language, print, softcopy etc
• Institution and human capacity to link rural
communities
• Connectivity

16. There is currently a revolution in
the ICT industry that is
dramatically changing the way
people understand and use ICT
tools.
It is going to be an entire paradigm
shift.

17. It’s up to us to decide how we
want to use these advances to
improve our lives.
The opportunity is there. Are we
going to take it?

18. Thank you