Agricultural value chains

3.1 Agricultural value chains

Examples of initiatives aimed to foster exchange of information related to agricultural value chains for smallholder farmers, experts and policy-makers include:

22 See conference Web site at in4ag.org 23 See conference website: e-agconference.net 24 Available from ITU at www.itu.int/pub/S-POL-WSIS 25 The collection of USAID FACET resources is available at www.e-agriculture.org/usaids-fostering-agriculture- competitiveness-employing-information-communication-technologies-facet

WSIS + 10

Red de Información y Comunicación del Sector Agropecuario de Colombia

(AGRONET) (Colombia): A decentralized agricultural information and communication network aims to provide strategic, appropriate and concise information to smallholder farmers and policy-makers about new technologies for sustainable food security and crop diversity to improve productivity and market opportunities. The network is based on a technical platform that integrates several databases and provides data analysis and business intelligence tools. 26

African Cashew Initiative (Ghana): Ghana is one of the ive countries where the Initiative is promoting integration of cashew farmers in the value chain. Ghanaian cashew nut farmers are testing a smartphone app that improves eficiency in the supply chain. 27

eAgri Transport GO Network (Ghana): Implemented by Foresight Generation Club, this network aims to provide viable transport and improved marketing channels for farmers to transport farm produce from farms to villages and selected marketing centres, based on a database of contacts and phone numbers of individual members, farming associations, transport owners and drivers.

SmartFish (Burundi, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Kenya, Rwanda,

South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda): SmartFish Programme, led by the Indian Ocean Commission and co-implemented by FAO, aims to reduce post- harvest ish losses for improved food security. Assessment work was built on FAO’s Post-Harvest Loss Assessment methodology, including a data collection and analysis tool based on mobile phones. The information collected via mobile devices shows where ish losses are occurring, how large the losses are and why they are occurring. All this information is important in planning where and how to reduce losses and therefore how best to make use of development resources. 28

SIS Semences (Côte d’Ivoire): The SIS Semences project was established in line with the Côte d’Ivoire Government’s national strategy for the production of rice focusing on quality seed. FAO, the Inter-professional fund for agricultural research and advice (Fonds interprofessionel de la recherche et de conseil agricoles – FIRCA), the National Agency for rural development (Agence nationale d’appui au développement rural – ANADER) and the National Organization of seed multiplier in Ivory Coast (Association nationale des semenciers de Côte d’Ivoire – ANASEMCI) have agreed to put in place a low-cost system for the production and commercialization of quality seeds. The partners agree about the necessity of building an information system on seed production and marketing based on a cheap and effective technology that would allow an increase in seed marketing as well as access by farmers to certiied seeds. FAO has provided the know-how and trained local staff from different institutions to handle and manage the information system. The system uses mobile technology, in particular smartphones, to report on the quality of seed production and to facilitate access to markets.

Cadre Regional de Concertation des Ruraux (CRCR) (Mali): This initiative covers and represents approximately 400 farmer and producer organizations of the Sikasso province. IICD has helped CRCR to equip and train its local branches

26 See www.agronet.gov.co/agronetweb1 27 See www.africancashewinitiative.org/ 28 See commissionoceanindien.org/ileadmin/projets/smartish/Fiche/FICHE17ENGLISH.pdf 26 See www.agronet.gov.co/agronetweb1 27 See www.africancashewinitiative.org/ 28 See commissionoceanindien.org/ileadmin/projets/smartish/Fiche/FICHE17ENGLISH.pdf

(Cadres Locaux de Concertation des OP – CLCOP) in the seven district towns of Sikasso with ICTs. Using Internet, mobile phones and local radios, CRCR now luently exchanges information from, to and among the CLCOPs; keeps a regularly updated database on farmer households in the province; and is able to systematically collect data on food security and share these with the local and regional authorities. The information system has inspired the national farmer associations Association des organisations professionnelles paysannes (AOPP) and Coordination nationale des organisations paysannes (CNOP), and the subregional Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA) to use the same model for its surveys.

CocoaLink (Ghana): CocoaLink is a mobile technology service that delivers timely farming, social and marketing information to cocoa farmers in 15 communities in Western Ghana, to improve incomes and livelihoods. Cocoa farmers who subscribe to CocoaLink receive and share practical information via SMS text and voice messages with industry experts and other farmers. CocoaLink is available to

any Ghanaian with a cell phone 29 .

Coffee Initiative (Ethiopia): The Coffee Initiative is implemented by TechnoService and provides an IVR and SMS mobile data collection system used by farmers to register in the initiative and also to record cherry collection volumes,

operating costs and wet mill performance indicators 30 .

iCow (Kenya): Cow farmers in Kenya are small-scale farmers and use rudimentary methods to manage their cows’ estrus cycle and milk production. Smallholder farmers are estimated to sell an average of 3 to 5 litres per day. Calculations have shown that 15 litres per day is the required production to bring

a family over the poverty line. Green Dreams TECH Ltd developed iCow, an SMS information system, with the main motivation being to enable small-scale farmers to maximize their returns by helping them to track analytics about their cows, ranging from gestation to immunization, and access information about diseases,

ind local veterinarians and optimize their animals’ healthcare 31 .