Meeting the Content need of Mobile-based Agriculture Services

Organised by: FAO

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This session will look at the critical issue of agricultural content/information. Technology is advancing quickly (e.g. mobile tools and service penetration) and the demand for information is growing. Yet entrepreneurs and development workers report in many cases the information needed to meet that demand does not exist. How do we ensure that actionable digital content is actually available to meet the opportunity and demands? The session will take a broad view of content sources and custodians, looking at stakeholders including farmers, agribusiness, the public sector, and media. In addition to sharing successful experiences, the speakers will engage the audience in a discussion about the many challenges that we face. Based on real and collective experience the session will delve into issues such as: What is the role of the public sector in providing content that will be used by the private sector? Can local/indigenous knowledge be captured and used in mobile information systems? What role does content supply have in the business models that will make agricultural information services sustainable? What can technology alone facilitate and where are concerted interventions needed to ensure that content is available?