RCS – Collaborative Change Communication

Information needs of rural farmers in Maharashtra, India

Zane Andrei Cortez — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 03:10:00 +0000

Access to information is vital to our everyday lives; in anything and everything we do. Rural farmers are a group of people who require access to specific information within a specific time to aid them in their daily agriculture work.

In the field of agriculture, it is necessary for farmers to receive timely and relevant information daily to help them assess their activities, avoid wasting of resources, and promote agricultural growth and development.

The study conducted by Bachhav (2020) was conducted through a survey involving 175 farmers in Maharashtra, India. Results show that the majority of farmers require information on crop production, seed availability, and fertilizer availability. This set of information allows farmers to take on the right action plan to maximize all of their available resources.

Moreover, in connection to farming activities, the study shows that market information on agricultural production is the top information that farmers demand. The availability of this information allows them to control their production based on the ratio of consumers’ demand over the available supply.

Lastly, their fellow farmers top the list as the major source of information to rural farmers. Knowledge is passed from one person to another. Newspapers, government offices, and Community Information Centers (CIS) are also considered as source of information which helps for the betterment of the agricultural industry.

Reference: Bachhav, Nitin Bhagachand, “Information Needs of the Rural Farmers : A Study from Maharashtra, India: A Survey”. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 866. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2043&context=libphilprac

Photo Reference: Singh (https://researchmatters.in/news/how-do-indian-farmers-adapt-climate-change-amid-socio-economic-hurdles)

Article contributed by Vincent Allen Fernandez, ComDev Asia intern

Communication for Development Degree Offering at the University of Reading

Zane Andrei Cortez — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:14:00 +0000

The University of Reading (UoR), United Kingdom, offers an exemplary example of where formal education can be utilised to progress understanding and the meeting of global Communication for Development (C4D) agendas. With a leading Agriculture and Forestry department, comprehensive C4D Master’s degree offering, university-led internship opportunities, and expert lecturers in the field, UoR is leading the way in facilitating the shaping the next generation of C4D activists.

Applying C4D theory with wider participatory practices, UoR’s C4D master’s degree centres around the production of realistic and specified practical assignments. Forcing students to consider each step of the communication strategy process, from planning and design to evaluation and research, it takes into account the relevance of varying communication methods to rural communities across the world. Practical assignments ask students to research, design and present a communication strategy targeting rural indigenous populations in The Philippines’ Aurora region, as well as a radio programme and supporting communication strategy for rural farm workers in Tanzania, with all assignments placing participatory practices at their core, using real-life stakeholder interviews from the regions to ensure learnings remain as authentic as possible and outcomes applicable to the real world.

Over recent years, UoR have also managed to establish a close working relationship with key representatives in the field of C4D. With links to the C4D department at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), invited students are given the opportunity to witness firsthand the work being done to progress rural communication services at a global level. Recently graduated students were able to spend time at the FAO headquarters in Rome, contributing towards the United Nations Decade on Family Farming initiative and engaging with important representatives from across the targeted Africa, Asia and Latin American regions.

The UoR is a beacon in the progression of C4D learnings and under the guidance of industry professionals with decades of global C4D experience, is continuing to support with the understanding of how communication can act as a force for change, both in individuals and wider societies as a whole. With a growing academic hub and ever-increasing field trips, research projects and networking opportunities, a new audience of people representing both the Global North and South is being encouraged to move into the development sector. UoR also offers a series of free online courses (add hyperlink) focusing on matters relating to food, farming, nutrition, and sustainability. All of the courses can be accessed via their website here and completed at a pace suitable to the learner.

To know more about the C4D Master’s Degree, visit https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/subject-area/international-development-and-applied-economics-pg/msc-communication-for-development.

Photo from: University of Reading website

Written by Charlie-Seaton Reid, FAO Intern

Developed ICT offices in rural areas of Iran requires restructuring to improve performance and promote acceptability

Zane Andrei Cortez — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 08:13:00 +0000

Sixteen rural ICT offices and one hundred sixty-five rural users were interviewed by the research team. From the ICT’s agents’ sample, majority of them are aged 31 to 40 years old and half of them have diploma degree. Meanwhile, from the rural users, most of them are aged 20 to 30 years old, and majority of them also have diploma degree.

The gathered data was analyzed using the structural equation modeling and showed that education, and policy and management requirements need to be prioritized to enhance the efficacy of rural ICT offices. On a side note, the study also highlights that providing in-service education for ICT experts, conducting regular training initiatives for ICT agents, and maximizing mass media in informing the villagers on aspects of ICTs can significantly improve the performance and output of these rural ICT offices.

Educational programs are also considered in boosting the performance of the rural ICT offices. Local media like radio, television, newspaper, and pamphlet can be utilized in promoting these programs to rural household. Furthermore, with the continuously increasing range of mobile phone applications, training and educational programs can be showed through various communication platforms. Having said this, managers and specialist can take advantage of this capacity to enhance their services.

To read the full article, click here.

Reference: Rajabi, S., Lashgarara, F., Chowdhury, A., Rashvand, H., & Daghighi, H. S. (2021). Improving Effectiveness of Rural Information and Communication Technology Offices: The Case of Qazvin Province in Iran. Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, 31(1), 108–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/10185291211027455

Photo reference: Tigana Chileshe (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ict_in_rural_areas.jpg)

Article contributed by Vincent Allen Fernandez, ComDev Asia intern

Use of ICTs among Rural Farmers in Northeast Nigeria

Zane Andrei Cortez — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 23:15:00 +0000

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been useful channels of information for urban and rural development in developing countries, including Nigeria. Oye, Lahad, and Zairah (2012) stated that ICTs have enabled people to interact with one another globally and allowed them to promptly access information. These have also made communication between people living in and out of rural areas possible. Aside from people’s day-to-day activities, ICTs have also helped workers in the agricultural sector access information that will help increase their environmental sustainability, productivity, and value generation while lowering their costs. To further determine the benefits of information and communication technologies, three scholars have conducted a study among the rural farmers in the northeast zone of Nigeria, where 80% of the population is engaged in agricultural activities, including rearing livestock and growing crops.

230 respondents, which were selected through a multistage sampling procedure, participated in the study. The data were collected by the researchers using an interview schedule. The study result indicated that the most available ICT tool in the area is radio. This is followed by mobile phone, television, computer, and newspaper. Meanwhile, the study also shows that radio, together with mobile phones, were the most frequently used ICT tool in the region due to its portability, being user friendly, and being economical.

The majority of the farmers stated that the main benefit of ICT is its ability to keep people in touch with their friends and family. Aside from these, the farmers in the northeastern zone of Nigeria perceived ICTs as useful tools in providing information on new agricultural techniques, weather conditions, disease outbreaks, public health, business, and ways to send short messages to people. This implies that the benefits of ICTs in the said areas are relevant to the respondents’ livelihood, social, and health affairs. However, along with these benefits are the constraints faced by the respondents in using ICTs. Among these constraints were high maintenance cost, high call tariff, irrelevant information channel, language barriers, and the maintenance of tools and equipment themselves.

The full study can be accessed here.

Reference:

Yekinni, O. T, et al., (2019). Benefits Derived from the Use of Information and Communication Technologies among Rural Farmers in Northeast Nigeria. American Journals Online. Vol. 23 No. 3 (2019). https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jae.v23i3.10

Photo: (c) FAO

Article contributed by Claudine Batimana, ComDev Asia intern

Perception and Use of ICTs in the Agricultural Extension of Trinidad

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Developing domestic agricultural production is the goal of every country towards food security. This is the same with Trinidad, a country in the Caribbean, where they launched their National Food Production Plan (2012 – 2015), headed by their Ministry of Agriculture Land and Fisheries. This plan’s success depends on the effectiveness and efficiency of their Ministry Extension, which is responsible for connecting directly to the Trinidadian farmers. However, the ministry faces challenges with the scarcity of officers, dependence on top-down strategies, and limited traditional information dissemination methods such as farm visits and one-way mass media (Ganpat et al., 2014; Ram et al., 2017; Seepersad, 2003).

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), which are being used to collect and transmit data through technological devices like mobile phones, are deemed effective solutions to the said challenges proven to serve farmers in the Caribbean effectively (Ganpat et al., 2010; McNamara, 2017). Regarding this, the study of Narine and Harder. (2019) provided an explicit discussion on the use of ICTs of the Extension Officers of Trinidad and their perception of Short Messaging Service (SMS) to communicate with the farmers. From all the existing ICTs, SMS through the mobile phone was chosen for this study because it is the most available function in mobile devices, even with the older ones, proving its accessibility to any farmer who has a mobile phone (World Bank, 2017). Moreover, the data of the said study were collected through census with the guidance of the diffusion of innovation theory.

Narine et al. (2019) study show that most extension officers use voice calls and SMS through their mobile phones to contact farmers. At the same time, those who were not using are willing to learn and use ICTs if it will improve their service. Based also on their general perception, the Trinidadian farmers are also capable of using mobile phones and their SMS function, and if not, they are also willing to learn. These only show that ICTs, specifically SMS through mobile phones, have a higher chance of being effective and efficient in Trinidad.

However, the study also revealed a lack of programs and policies that support and enable SMS use in extension work, which should be addressed to attain the aimed benefits.

For further information about the study, you can view it here.

References:

Ganpat, W. G., Ragbir, S., & de Freitas, C. (2010). The use of information and communication technologies in the modernization of Caribbean agriculture: Focus on agricultural extension (No. 529-2016-38253).

Ganpat, W. G., Webster, N., & Narine, L. (2014). Farmers’ satisfaction with extension services in the organization of Eastern Caribbean States.

McNamara, K., Belden, C., Kelly, T., Pehu, E., & Donovan, K. (2017). Introduction: ICT in agricultural development.

Narine, L. K., and Harder, A.(2019). Extension officers’ adoption of modern information communication technologies to interact with farmers of Trinidad. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 26(1), 17-34.

Ram, D., Ganpat, W., & Narine, L. K. (2017). Management performance of farmers groups and its impact on membership: A prerequisite for group sustainability in Trinidad. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 9(10), 239-246.

Seepersad, J. (2003). Case study on ICTs in agricultural extension in Trinidad & Tobago. CTA ICTs–Transforming Agricultural Extension.
World Bank. (2017). ICT in Agriculture (Updated Edition): Connecting Smallholders to Knowledge, Networks, and Institutions. The World Bank.

Photos source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Article contributed by: Mark Vincent Mercene, CCComDev intern

Utilization of Mobile Phones for Fruit Marketing in Vietnam

admin — Wed, 25 May 2022 13:44:00 +0000

With the primary goal of Vietnam to lead in agricultural development, one of the strategies they are currently taking is to make markets accessible to their farmers (Ha et al., 2015; Tran and Dinh, 2014). However, Vietnamese farmers lack access to relevant marketing information, hindering them from maximizing this opportunity (Pham, 2018).

Mobile phones, an example of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which can facilitate the transmission of information in an instant and different digital forms, is considered as one of the solutions to the said problem (Ajani, 2014; Alavion and Allahyari, 2012; Bachaspati, 2018; Baourakis et., 2002; Kaware and Sain, 2015). It can connect with other producers and customers and access relevant market information such as the current prices (Hoang, 2020). Although, its use in agricultural marketing requires it to be user-friendly and accessible to fulfill its purposes with potential users (Alavion et al., 2017).

Even with the agreement that ICTs are beneficial, there is a lack of study on their adoption by Vietnamese farmers in agricultural marketing (VietNamNews, 2017). The study of Hoang (2020) aims to fill this gap, explicitly finding out the determinants of Vietnamese farmers adopting ICTs for fruit marketing. Through a cross-sectional survey, this study was conducted in Huong Son District, Ha Tinh Province, Central Vietnam, where agriculture is their primary source of living with large accounts on fruit crops.

In summary, Hoang (2020)’s study shows that gender, income, distance to the market, and participation in training programs affect the adoption of ICTs for fruit marketing in the said locality. Men who have higher income and participate in training programs to use ICTs have more access and capacity to adopt it. On the other hand, farmers who are far from the market have more interest in taking part in this initiative. These only show that for ICT adoption in fruit marketing to be successful, there is also a need for financial support and training programs to help the Vietnamese farmers adjust and become part of this innovation.

Gender Gap in Climate Information Services of Ghana

admin — Sat, 14 May 2022 10:11:00 +0000

Women have a big part in the world’s agricultural development, from crafting solutions for food security to continuing the legacy of farming against global hunger. However, even with what they have already proven, there is still a clear gender gap in agriculture where women face an imbalance of land ownership and limited farm inputs (Rahman, 2014; Jost et al., 2016). Unfortunately, the use of Climate Information Services (CIS), which is being utilized to assist farmers in their crop production and climate adaptation, has this gap also that should be addressed (Partey et al., 2020).

In relation to the said problem, Partey et al. (2020) conducted a study in Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) climate-smart village research for development site (CSV 4RD) in the Lawra-Jirapa Districts of the Upper West Region of Ghana. They analyzed the difference between men’s and women farmers’ perception and use of the CIS implemented in their locality, the Esoko platform, where downscaled seasonal forecast reports are transmitted to them through their mobile phones.

Through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with the farmers in the locality, Partey et al. (2020) found out that there is no difference between the perception of male and female partners on climate change, the benefits of the use of CIS, and even with their network connectivity challenges on it. However, they found out that male farmers have more access to CIS than female farmers because of their higher control on their income to avail mobile phones, reflecting a gender gap that should be addressed.

To know more about the study, you can access it here.

References:

Jost, C., Kyazze, F., Naab, J., Neelormi , S., Kinyangi, J., Zougmore, R., … & Kristjanson, P. (2016). Understanding gender dimensions of agriculture and climate change in smallholder farming communities. Climate and Development, 8(2), 133-144.

Partey, S. T., Dakorah, A. D., Zougmoré, R. B., Ouédraogo, M., Nyasimi, M., Nikoi, G. K., & Huyer, S. (2020). Gender and climate risk management: evidence of climate information use in Ghana. Climatic Change, 158(1), 61-75.

Rahman, A. (2014). Gender in Scaling Up Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change. In Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (pp. 250-262). Routledge.

Photo source: FAO

Article contributed by Mark Vincent Mercene, CCComDev intern

Theatre for Development in Communicating Climate Change in Africa

Rhodora Ramonette de Villa-Custodio — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 22:23:09 +0000

Nda and Ekong (2012) in their article titled “Communicating Climate Change in Africa through the Theatre for Development Process” discussed the value of using theatre for development (or community theatre) in communicating the problem of climate change.

According to the authors, theatre for development “arises out of development communication with the sole intention of giving back the theatre to the people for them to use in communicating among themselves, and with others, discussing and proffering suggestive means of creating better situations for human thrive and continuity” (Nda & Ekong, 2012, p. 440). Because of this, they proposed that it be used as an environmental communication method, particularly in communicating climate change in Africa and the rest of the world.

Using theatre for development in communicating climate change has several benefits (Nda & Ekong, 2012, p. 440):

It is the “most democratic of the media of communication open to man” since it “makes provision for the communal creation of the story to be performed, the acting of the story by the people themselves, the employment of improvisational creation of the dialogue by the actors and actresses, the performance of the rehearsed play before a live audience, discussions on the problems put forward through the play and a communal agreement to implement the agreed provisions.”
It is not centralised and “is capable of integrating indigenous and popular systems of communication that already exist in the rural areas” (Zakes, 1993 in Nda & Ekong, 2012).
It has appropriate technology that is readily available in the villages.

Based on Nda’s (2007) community theatre project in Ikot Ayan Itam, Itu Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria to create awareness on the state of the environment, a model on the utilization of the theatre for development methodology was forwarded.

The full paper is available here.

Reference:

Nda, U. S., & Ekong, F. U. (2012). Communicating climate change in Africa through the theatre for development process. Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management, 5(4), 437-443.

Photo credit: International Climate Initiative (IKI), German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)

Linking Rural Radio to New ICTs in Africa: Bridging the rural digital divide

Pamela Eleazar — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 03:20:00 +0000

The Simbani News Agency is a good example of an ICT/radio application in support of rural populations that is a joint initiative of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and FAO.

The said news agency prioritised the information needs for development and food security. It developed a multi-thematic approach covering human rights and democracy, gender and develoopment, environment, HIV/AIDS and food security. Rural communities were provided complex but vital information that can be transformed into laymanized radio scripts and distributed through the Internet to radio stations in Africa. The outputs were delivered in English and French but its text-based services was translated to local languages by broadcasters in order to reach as many stakeholders as possible.

The Simbani News Agency aims to inform, educate and sensitize both urban and rural populations on food security issues. They adopted a participatory approach and it equipped and trained a number of correspondents throughout Africa. Their task were to ensure that the experiences and perspectives of the communities are communicated to the network.To read the full article, click here.

ICTs support agricultural productivity in India

Rhodora Ramonette de Villa-Custodio — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 02:56:00 +0000

Amidst declining natural resources for production and the need to enhance livelihoods of those who depend on agriculture, India ventured on maximizing the potent of information communication technologies (ICTs) to address challenges in the agriculture sector.

Bhalekar, Ingle, and Pathak (2015) studied some ICT projects on agriculture for rural development in India. Three of these projects focused on promoting agricultural development. Lessons from these studies indicate that ICTs can build up knowledge to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve agricultural productivity.

The Nargana Group in Andrah Pradesh initiated the iKisan project. The group put up a comprehensive agricultural portal for information and knowledge exchange and e-marketplace. Called ikisan.com, the portal links farmers, trade channel partners, and agricultural input/output companies to provide information, enhance knowledge, and meet business requirements in agriculture.

Another project, Krishiworld.net, provides information about medicinal and aromatic plants, biotechnology, crops, soils, fertilizers, weather, market watch, farm equipment, plant protection, and disease control. It is dubbed as the ‘best’ portal on agriculture in India.

The third one involves ITC Limited, a conglomerate in India, which installed computers with Internet access in rural areas to enable farmers to access e-chopal.com. This site provides farmers with up to date market and agricultural information, discusses issues such as fragmented farms, weak infrastructure, and trade intermediaries that pervade Indian agriculture. It also links farmers via Internet on where to procure agricultural and aquaculture products mainly soybeans, wheat, coffee, and prawns.

India’s experience with these ICT projects for agricultural development opens the door for communication policies to support and sustain agricultural production. Such policies should: 1) encourage the use of ICTs and other channels to share agricultural information to farmers and other relevant stakeholders; 2) recommend the conduct of participatory and rapid communication appraisal to determine agricultural information needs and communication media preferences of farmers and other relevant stakeholders; 3) incorporate the use of appropriate communication strategies, ICTs, and other channels as components of agricultural development programs; 4) enhance faith, commitment, and satisfaction among farmers and stakeholders on communication services for agricultural development; and c) train farmers and stakeholders on how to make the best possible use of ICTs and other communication services to promote agriculture.

Source:

Bhalekar, P., Ingle, S., & Pathak, K. (2015). The study of some ICT projects in agriculture for rural development of India. Asian Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology, 5 (1), 5-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ajcsit.v5i1.17

(Online copy available here.)

Photo credit: iKISAN.com