IICD supported project: Agriculture Information and Communication System Santa Cruz - Bolivia

Countries: Bolivia [BO]
Sectors: livelihoods

Summary

This leveraging programme builds on the project experience of ICO in the province of Vallegrande, who has implemented an agriculture price information system using a combination of internet-linked information centres and rural radio and information system providing information on expected production volumes at provincial level serving as a decision support system for farmers. The departmental government of Santa Cruz has decided to take over and replicate the system to 15 other provinces in the department.

Update

Updated: 2008-04-07

This leveraging programme of US$ 1,200,000 started in January 2008. The departmental government has made available funds to start a pilot phase in 2 provinces, co-funded by the government and IICD. Key activities are:

• Strategic advise to the Department of Santa Cruz on this leveraging programme
• Technical advice on connectivity 
• Web and Database development for provincial authorities
• Production and price database in 2 provinces
• Data collection system at provincial level using hand-held radio, telecentres and community collectors
• Price and market information dissemination via telecentres and radio
• Capacity development of provincial government staff and farmer associations
• Monitoring and evaluation

Introduction

The Governmental Department of Santa Cruz is the main producer of agriculture products in Bolivia. Despite the fast growth of production, almost half of the rural population lives on half a dollar per day.

To respond to this, the strengthening of the agriculture sector is a key objective of the Departmental Government. Information collection, diffusion and digital exchange of agriculture information between the government and private sector and small and medium farmers are necessary tools to achieve this. This exchanges needs to be supported by a combination of ICTs.

At this moment, there are no established information and communication channels the government can use to reach the farmer community. This programme will respond to this using a combination of Internet, voice radio and rural radio.

Objectives

• Facilitate the exchange of market prices, supply and demand of agriculture products to empower farmers and increase revenues
• Assist in the transfer of technologies to and between farmers to increase efficiency and productivity, thereby strengthening food security of small farmers 
• Improve the information and communication system for early alert on natural disasters to inform and prepare the population for natural disasters

Development Impacts

The programme aims to increase the income of farmers and their families through better access to price and market information, estimating an increase of at least 10% to 20% increase in revenue.

In this pilot 60 staff of provincial government will be trained and 300 representatives of farmer associations.
The programme will be able to reach out to a larger group of end users farmers by means of access and updating information by Internet at the provincial government offices and information centres operated by IICD project partners and other projects in the provinces. This way at least 2,000 farmers are expected to make up the direct users in this pilot phase in 2 provinces.

Moreover, other beneficiaries are farmers informed through rural radio programmes. Currently 50,000 farmers are reached by the pilot project of ICO, which will transfer the radio services to the local government.

Results

Information needs have been identified by the departmental government, provincial authorities and farmers on the basis of a diagnostic study and a Roundtable workshop in May 2007.

Lessons learned

• It is very effective to organise a Roundtable workshop with government representatives from national to local levels at the start of a leveraging programme because this creates ownership and awareness. Especially local level governments are often not involved or consulted during the formulation process
• Presenting and building on local project experiences allows the government to better understand the practical usefulness of ICT
• IICD has an important role in building partnerships between the government (allocating funding and building long-term human and technical infrastructure) and NGOs (on-the-ground experience)
• Support of advisors with experience in local administrative and political processes are essential to get political and financial support from the government

Budget

The total programme budget is US$ 1,250,000. The pilot phase has a budget of US$ 62,000. IICD's contribution is US$ 40,000.

Project Owner : Departmental Government Santa Cruz