1. ICTs for last mile delivery of best practice and
providing feedback loops to accelerate
agriculture development: Drawing on lessons
from China and Brazil.
David Bergvinson
ICT4Ag: the digital springboard for inclusive
agriculture
November 5, 2013
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2. Know Your Customer: understand the needs of farmers to target
research and value chain investments to improve productivity
Global
National
Global
Systems & Products
Systems, Products & Scaling
Systems & Products
Upstream
R&D
Adaptive
Research
Input
supply
Production &
home consumption
Processing
Trading/
retail
Consumers
November 5, 2013
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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3. Internet and mobile are creating an ever-increasing
level of global connectivity
There are ~7 billion mobile phone
subscribers in the world with ~1B in
China, India (860M), Nigeria (101M),
Egypt (92M), SA (61M), Kenya
(31M), Ethiopia (18M),
G8 range: USA (327M) Canada (26M)
Global mobile traffic now
represents roughly 13% of Internet
traffic. (In 2009 it was only 1%)
Twitter has:
140M users
175M tweets per day
300K new visitors each day
~55% female
Of the 29 million mobile subscribers in
Kenya, 65 percent (19 million
users) are subscribed to mobile
money services with total deposits
Source: GSMA; Worldbank; Twitter; 2012 Global Mobile Statistics http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobilestats/g
November 5, 2013
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4. Data and information is increasing at an astounding
pace: what is useful in supporting farmers?
2.7 zettabytes created in 2012
What does the Human Face of this Big Data look like?
Source: Economist http://www.economist.com/node/18226961; IBM “What is Big Data?” http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/bigdata/
November 5, 2013
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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5. Hypothesis: Stitching currently disparate Big Data together
enables us to offer integrated solutions: Power of location, time and
unique identifiers
Location and time can stitch together
diverse sources of information and support
delivery of farmer-specific information
Unique identifiers enable integration
and mining of genetic resources and std
ontology enables collaboration
Nutrition
Markets
Weather
Systems
Biology
Soils
Microbiome
Soybean
chickpea
Seeds
Financial
services
Cattle breeds
(not exhaustive)
Goal: Increase farm productivity, market opportunities,
reduce risk, improve natural resources and nutrition
November 5, 2013
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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6. Opportunity: gaining a deeper understanding of SHF needs and
enabling factors and key stakeholders to leverage ICT4Ag
Most pressing SHF needs
Enabling factors required to fulfill needs
Access to Ag
knowledge/
education
Trained, accessible extension workers
K
Effectively managed extension system
K
Locationspecific weather
information
Data collected with adequate granularity
S
Data managed and processed effectively
S
Info distributed tailored to SHF needs
K
Access to
markets/market
information
Physical access to markets
Title to land for
investment
security
Access to
finance
K
Improved seeds matching farmer needs
Access to
inputs
Access to price information (output)
G
Physical availability and affordability
Sufficient info about
inputs1
Effective land tenure bodies (village level)
K
Key stakeholders
Ministries and gov't bodies
• Ministry of Ag,
• Ministry of Trade
• Met. Agency
• Local Government Authorities
Ag
•
•
•
R&D institutions
Universities
National Ag Res Systems
Internatinal Ag Res Systems
Non-profit sector
• Farmer Associations
• NGOs, e.g. AGRA,
Private sector service providers
• Mobile Network Operators
• Financial institutions
S
Physical mapping of land ownership
S
Access to financial institutions
K
Eligibility for loans (e.g. land as collateral)
International organizations
• World Bank
• CGIAR
• Donors (Gov. Agencies,
Foundations)
S
K Knowledge Exchange
S Spatial Resources
G Genetic Gains
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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7. Expand access to Ag knowledge/education through
participatory video and radio, ICT-enabled extension support
Knowledge Platform
Access to Ag
knowledge/
education
Broad dissemination of Ag knowledge via
Farm Radio participatory programming
• Build open library of Ag radio
programs for distribution via local
radio channels
• Begin open library of farmergenerated Agronomic videos
Locationspecific weather/
soil information
Access to
inputs
Access to
finance
Expand Farm Radio programming with
SMS-enabled farmer feedback, farmer
helpline, weather alert system
Develop time- and location-specific video
content based on weather and soil data
Shift to farmer-led video and radio content
production, enabled by extension workers
Deliver individual location- and timespecific video distribution via mobile or
internet-enabled devices
Strengthen extension worker training in
advanced Agronomic techniques via
mobile or internet-enabled devices
Farmer Radio
• Strengthen extension worker
creation and demonstration of
Ag knowledge via 3G devices
• Link Ag video and radio content to
farmer feedback
• Tailor video/radio program
dissemination to soil and
weather conditions
• Shift to farmer-to-farmer content
production and dissemination
with growth of 3G-enabled phones
• Link video and radio distribution
to early warning systems
• Build capacity of extension
workers to access Ag
knowledge library
• Deliver extension training
updates via Agronomic video
Video
ICT-Enabled Extension
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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Years 4-6
Title to land for
investment
security
Train extension officers in participatory
video/radio production and demonstration
Years 2-3
Access to
markets/market
information
Pilot Digital Green video creation on basic
Agronomic techniques (eg. planting,
fertilizer and pesticide use, etc.)
Time
Year 1
Content and Delivery
Most pressing SHF needs
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8. Overview of ICT-enabled tools and organizational systems to
support Ag development
Mobile Data
Collection
Static Data
Collection
Hardware
Software
Automated connectivity-enabled
meteorological stations
Standardized data collection
Digital weather/market/soil information
aggregation software
Laser-enabled high-altitude weather
tracking system
Institutional Capabilities
Big data analytic software for weather
predictions, sequencing, soil analysis
Open Data platform
management capabilities
Digital communication channels
between R&D institutions,
universities and Ministries
Satellite-enabled weather tracking
and land survey
Scanning software to digitize historical
weather records
Mobile plug-in sensors for soil
analysis
SMS and internet based data input channel
for online knowledge database (soil,
weather, market information)
Low-cost weather sensors (rain,
wind, solar radiation, etc)
Location and time-specific data tagging to
enable tailored content delivery
Data Delivery
and Access
Extension officer management
and feedback system
ICT technical support / training
Low-cost video production hardware
Basic mobile handsets (2G)
Organizational capacity to drive
effective data collection
SMS-based location and time-specific
content delivery and alert system
Mobile broadband infrastructure
(TV white space, 3G system)
Internet-enabled mobile devices
(smartphones, tablets)
Internet-based Ag education access portal
Low-cost data deliver e.g. White
Space
SMS-based query and feedback software
and IVR hotline system
Institutional capacity to maintain
weather / pest alert systems, IVR
hotline system
Data Collection
Data Management
Data Delivery
User Feedback
China/Brazil/ tech
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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9. ICT4Ag:
the digital springboard for inclusive agriculture
Opening a world of opportunity
November 5, 2013
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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10. Additional content
© 2012 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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11. Strengthen access to location-specific soil and weather info by
improving digital data capture and SMS-based forecast delivery
Most pressing SHF needs
Locationspecific weather/
soil information
Expand high-resolution weather and soil
data capture through plug-in mobile data
collection devices
Improve weather forecasting capabilities
via computer data analytics training
Develop SMS- and radio-based forecast
delivery via existing Ag info platforms
Support digitization of historical weather
data via high-volume scanning technology
Expand SMS-delivery system to include
location-specific recommendations on
input use based on national soil survey
Access to
finance
Improve location-specific weather forecast
system via SMS-enabled farmer feedback
Data Collection
Data Management

• Link satellite imagery (radar) to
centralized database to improve
forecasting ability
• Deliver location-specific
recommendations on improved
soil and input utilization
• Improve reliability and accuracy
of weather forecast/alert system
via SMS-enabled farmer feedback
mechanisms
Data Delivery
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User Feedback
Role for Donors
Years 4-6
Title to land for
investment
security
• Strengthen high-altitude weather
collection and link to centralized
tracking database
• Improve continental forecast
capabilities via data analytics
training
• Develop national SMS-based
weather forecast delivery system
via existing Ag info platforms
Years 2-3
Access to
inputs
Support digitization of national weather
station data collection and reporting
• Expand national weather and soil
data collection network
• Link weather data to centralized
weather tracking database
• Provide open access to soil
database
Time
Year 1
Support national weather and soil data
collection via distribution of low-cost,
connectivity-enabled sensors
Access to Ag
knowledge/
education
Access to
markets/market
information
Knowledge Platform
Content and Delivery
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12. Improve access to existing market information platform via
third-party access, SMS delivery and distributed info collection
Most pressing SHF needs
Locationspecific weather/
soil information
Develop national commodity exchange
platform to facilitate transparent price info
Expand market price data collection
network to include direct farmer input
Support development of time and location
specific market price information delivery
Support development of distributed
farmer-to-farmer buy/sell platform
Access to
finance
Data Collection
Data Management

• Allow third-party access to market
price database
• Develop national SMS-based
market price delivery system
leveraging existing Ag info platforms
• Allow Ag input producers and
purchasers to upload data directly
to knowledge platform
• Develop decentralized buy/sell
market platform to facilitate
farmer/market linkages
• Expand market price collection
network to include direct farmer
input, improve level of price
granularity
Data Delivery
Leveraging Open Data for Ag Development April 30 2013 v2
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User Feedback
Role for Donors
Years 4-6
Title to land for
investment
security
Develop SMS and radio-based market
information distribution system in
partnership with non-profit/private sector
Years 2-3
Access to
inputs
Strengthen Ministry of Trade capacity to
manage market information platform
• Ministry of Trade market
information platform
• Provide open access to market
price information via online
portals
Time
Year 1
Improve collection of market price
information by extension officers with
SMS and smartphone data entry tools
Access to Ag
knowledge/
education
Access to
markets/market
information
Knowledge Platform
Content and Delivery
12

13. Improve farmer access to inputs by linking input providers
directly to farmers via distributed buy/sell networks
Most pressing SHF needs
Locationspecific weather/
soil information
Access to
finance
Develop SMS-based input use tracking
system, to gather info on fertilizer and
seed application and effectiveness
Support direct market links between input
providers and farmers via distributed
mobile input order and payment system
• Strengthen multi-stakeholder
information platforms to link info
on input prices and availability,
mobile payments and farmer yields
• Track use and impact of Ag
inputs via SMS and link to research
institutes to collect Ag best practices
• Support development of direct
farmer-to-farmer and market-tofarmer platform via SMS and
internet-enabled devices
Develop farmer-to-farmer feedback
platform to facilitate transparency of input
quality/price
Data Collection
Data Management

Data Delivery
Leveraging Open Data for Ag Development April 30 2013 v2
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User Feedback
Role for Donors
Years 4-6
Title to land for
investment
security
Support development of multi-stakeholder
Ag info platforms, linking input providers
to existing SMS-based info platforms
Years 2-3
Access to
inputs
Develop centralized SMS/radio-based
input price and location alert system to
link farmers to local input markets
• Expand market price information
platform to include input prices
• Link agro-input producers
directly to market price platform
to facilitate data collection
Time
Year 1
Link agro-input producers to existing
market information platforms to improve
capture of input price data
Access to Ag
knowledge/
education
Access to
markets/market
information
Knowledge Platform
Content and Delivery
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