The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Food and Agriuclture Organization (FAO) signed on September 20, 2017, in New York a memorandum of understanding to promote ICT-driven innovation in agriculture. The two institutions will in this framework team up to facilitate the development of measures and regulations related to e-agriculture. The final objective of the partnership is to boost national and regional competitiveness of all countries, the poorest especially.
Director General of FAO, José Graziani da Silva (photo), said “ICT have a tremendous potential to support rural development, improve rural households’ resiliency, improve farmers’ access to markets and other services, make women and youth more autonomous. They will help insure that rural populations are not left out”.
Truly, with ICT tools, mobile phones included, rural populations can abandon archaic farming methods which they inherited from their customs and traditions, and improve their production and subsequently their revenues. They will be able to identify the best agricultural inputs and sales outlets, access weather data to determine the best periods to plant and harvest, use the best agricultural practices to improve yields, etc.
According to FAO, improving agricultural output with ICT falls in line with the sustainable development goals of its 2030 agenda, to end poverty and hunger, among others.
• Investors seem to keep focusing on yields, which are high for the moment• New Leadership might see...
• ECOWAS Bank funds 47.7-km stretch of strategic 700-km road project• Lagos-Calabar highway seen boo...
• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo...
• IFC teams up with AfDB and Nigeria’s EbonyLife to assess a new fund for African cinema• Sector cou...
• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...
Standard Bank granted Paymenow a $22 million loan to expand its early wage access service in Southern Africa. Paymenow helps employees access...
Africa imported a record 3 million tonnes of Thai rice in 2024, a 23.3% increase over 2023. South Africa, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, and...
Côte d’Ivoire will receive $234 million for a sustainable urban mobility project in Abidjan. Gambia will receive $32.2 million to build...
Africa’s adoption of small modular reactors (SMRs) varies widely, revealing gaps in regulatory and institutional readiness. Ghana and Rwanda lead...
Located about 40 kilometers from Cape Town’s city center, Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most iconic destinations. This...
The Gerewol tradition is a fascinating ritual celebrated by the Bororo Fulani, a nomadic community primarily located in Chad and Niger. This annual...