Smallholder farmers across ACP and beyond are key to meeting current and future food security demands. The increasing role of farmer organizations in empowering, engaging, and connecting other farmers is being recognised. With the ubiquitous use of ICTs in agriculture, there has been increased deployment of databases for farmers to facilitate resource flow to and from other stakeholders. Several models/approaches with electronic databases farmer organizations for use by development agencies, donors, service providers and other interested parties are being piloted and used. ICTs are known to be enhancing connections among members of farmer organizations to share market information and technical know-how, get informed about the organization's activities, improve accounting and administration and give a stronger collective voice to members for advocacy. This session takes various perspectives on database development from national levels and private sector approaches to address issues like: how to facilitate bottom-up processes that ensure capacity and use; which bottom-up capacity building processes ensure uptake and use of ICT solutions; and what has been learned about building sustainable capacity through database development?
Responsible for coordinating and managing knowledge activities and partnerships related to Capacity Development & Innovation in ICT-enabled Social Innovation processes