Advances in technology are helping people all over the world. Not a week goes by without a new announcement of the latest gizmo, widget or technological breakthrough that promises to fundamentally change our behaviour and lives.
But rather than focus on the newest and latest technology, 8Villages, a mobile social network for smallholder farmers, has gone old-school by using simple 2G/GPRS to supply farmers with a range of agriculture-related information via cell phones. It is part of the company’s DNA to ensure farmers in the field are have simple yet actionable information, while connecting mobile carriers and large agribusinesses to the ‘little’ farmer.
Potentially millions of farmers could benefit from 8villages technology platform. But big leaps take time and so a small, but significant, step was made in Indonesia which has a huge agricultural base combined with high cell phone penetration rates. This provided the perfect foundation for 8villages to launch its service in 2012 but primarily focused on linking farmers.
Thousands of farmers in Indonesia have had access to 8Villages service, which focused on setting up networks for farmers to receive information and communicate with each other in small groups using the simple mobile phone as its platform.
Armed with a mobile phone, a farmer can opt for a subscription package which would allow him or her to communicate in small groups about relevant content provided by the private or public agriculture sector.
Groups consist of between 10-15 farmers based on their crops and location. This allows them to share useful information, such as dealing with a particular pest problem, weather conditions or responsible use of pesticides, rather than being sent ‘spam’ or information simply not relevant to their circumstances (geography, crops etc.).
In order to make it interactive and avoid the top down communication approach, farmers can ask questions and get them answered either by other farmers in their user group or by agricultural experts from 8villages’ partners, which are a combination of the private and public sector. This all works without the need for an internet connection since it is SMS-based.
The scheme is focused on empowering farmers with knowledge and up-to-date information and techniques in order for them to make more informed decisions.
The challenge for extension services workers and the private sector is to adequately reach farmers in an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and then sustain that with appropriate information.
Simple cell phone technology could help bridge that gap by giving farmers the opportunity to connect to a relevant and broader community. The information flow can be secured with farmers not feeling isolated and relying on intermittent word-of-mouth.
Matt Kovac is Director of Advocacy at CropLife Asia based in Singapore.
** photo credits to http://www.8villages.com/
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