According to a UN Rural Poverty Report (Rural Poverty Report 2001: The Challenge of Ending Rural Poverty. Rome: IFAD 2001), 75% of the world’s poor live in remote rural areas and make their living through agriculture. Fighting poverty among agricultural workers is therefore one of the main goals of development organisations.

The majority of our livelihood projects involve the use of ICT applications in agriculture. The projects often provide farmers with information related to production and market prices. ICTs are also being used to link farmers in rural areas with each other and with key national and international markets.

Producing enough food on the existing cultivable land requires sustainable management practices, which in turn benefit greatly from investment in, and access to, ICT. With a growing interest in agro-ecological projects within the agriculture sector, we will be looking at ways to integrate this into future projects.

Agriculture

ICT can give farmers access to information concerning market opportunities, prices and better production methods. Using the Internet, ICT can enable them to promote their produce to a wider public. Farmers who understand market trends and market opportunities are better able to make the right choices. They need to know what to grow, when to grow, when and where to sell, and at what price. In our experience, farmers using telephony and Internet services usually experience direct benefits.

Having access to the information that determines the context within which they operate, such as relevant government policies, also has a large influence on their day-to-day labour and the fruits of their labour. Moreover, access to improved knowledge about appropriate technologies can be particularly useful.

E-business

ICT provides specific opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). ICT can enable them to boost productivity, tap into international markets, and offer better services to their customers.