Information System for Innovation and Competitiveness of Small Farmers - Bolivia

The non-governmental organisation Centro de Promoción Agropecuarios Campesino (CEPAC), the centre for promotion of farmers, started the implementation of a project with Information and Communication Technology features similar to the projects of the Asociation of Ecological Farmers'  Organisations in Bolivia (AOPEB), that IICD has been supporting snice 2001. In those projects a network of specialised information centres for producers of ecological products is developed. These centres are operated by local producer organisations, receiving training and coaching in the use of computers and internet and provision of information services.

The CEPAC project includes 4 information centres in the region of Ichile near Santa Cruz, feeded with information from headquarters in Santa Cruz. The focus is on the marketing and production information on the principal products produced in the region of Ichile.

In addition, a radio programme is developed to promote the information services provided through the information centre. The project will provide a direct link between small farmers at community level and market and production information provided at the local and national level.

Lacking information between the differences actors in the agriculture value chain hampers the free market system. With all actors operating separately makes the position of small producers less competitive. Therefore producers need to adopt more a better structured and coordinated information strategy. ICT represent a key input to plan and implement an information system providing producers with useful information on production technologies and markets, enhancing their position in the market.

Read more about IICD's Bolivia Country Programme.

Apart from the inauguration in the first rural information centre, the first training sessions for end users have been realised. As for information services, the project developed a price and input database and published a monthly bulletin with key information on production methods and marketing outlets.

Ever since the beginning, the project has been promoted in different kinds of associations and in Municipal Governments. Results include:

• The Communication and ICT Training Center, TIC@Yapacaní and three smaller agriculture information centres have been set up in CEPAC facilities in Yapacaní and it has been provided with all the necessary equipment
• Producer organisations willing to receive the benefits of ICT services. We have already received 56 applications to provide promoters with ICT training in different communities and associations in Buena Vista, San Carlos, San Juan and Yapacaní
• Broadcasting the radio programme “Vamos Al mercado” (Let’s go to the market). So far, 113 releases of the program have been broadcasted, twice a day, containing information about the prices of agricultural products in different markets
• Newsletter TIC@gro-Mercado with useful information for agricultural producers. This newsletter is also important to promote our virtual library and also agribusiness opportunities and the services offered by the ICT training Center. Three issues of the newsletter have already been published and we have distributed 1864 copies
• Development of a database and a virtual library (BiblioTIC) where we organize all the information downloaded from the web
• Training of 80 agents representing eight farming communities and seven associations (workers of the dairy industry, coffee growing, fruit growers, beekeepers, citrus fruits growers, cattle raisers, craftsmen, etc) representing represent many communities and associations in Yapacaní, San Carlos and Buena Vista
• Frame agreements have been signed with the local governments of Buena Vista and San Juan to provide free technical support to the information centres and payment of Internet services

The general objective of the project is to benefit small producers, permanently in need of information about services and markets. Nevertheless, the system can be enlarged to serve other sectors, like medium-sized farms or even big agricultural companies. It is easy to see that there is a potential market that can be gradually expanded if we are able to increase our experience; if we can improve the quality of our services, if we put in practice the necessary strategies to guarantee the sustainability of the system.

Specific objectives:

• Technological facilities, that include the setting up of an ICT Server in the city of Santa Cruz, of a sub-center for communications and ICT training in Yapacaní and of three communication sub-centers in each local government in the province of Ichilo. All these centers will perform the registration and processing of information, they will assemble “packets” of information, they will create the virtual library and provide the venues for the ICT training activities;
• Information Registering, that includes the creation of an information system, able to collect data, analyze them and construe their meaning. This would be of great help to achieve technological innovation and to enhance the producers’ competitiveness as the access to information about input suppliers, service providers and markets would be much easier. It would also facilitate the access to the web Page.
• Information Services, enabling information to reach the final users through the radio, through printed material, by means of face-to-face communication (community promoters) or virtually, in the Webpage. 
• Training, ICT and Computer Science training provided to final users, promoters and people in general.

The project will assist IICD in reaching poor farmers in rural areas, thereby directly contributing to the mission of IICD. The project will also be able to draw lessons from similar projects already operational in Bolivia and in other countries through Local IN and Thematic Networks. The project owner has a long and solid track record in implementation of local projects. The project is expected to contribute to a combination of traditional (printed bulletins and local radio) and modern ICTs (Internet) to reach poor and rural end users.

Read more about IICD's approach towards Livelihoods.

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CEPAC - Centro de Promoción Agropecuaria Campesina (Agricultural Promotion Center for the Farmer Community), is a private Institution working for development, a non-profit organisation that started its activities in October 1990. It supports farmer families, social organizations and local governments to improve agricultural production. CEPAC wants its activities to be a valuable contribution for the generation of knowledge and for the replicability of successful experiences. CEPAC is the owner of the project, the responsible for the development of ICT technologies and for the administration of financial resources.