Will Digital Technologies Transform Agriculture in Developing Countries?

Abstract

The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

Impacts of Distance Education on Agricultural Performance and Household Income: Micro-Evidence from Peri-Urban Districts in Beijing

“…ICT-based extension projects can only solve some of the barriers faced by farmers; others depend on complement factors, such as farmers' endowment conditions, market participation threshold, infrastructures, and institutional or cultural context [28][29][30]. If the aim of the project is to narrow the gap in agriculture productivity between poor and wealthy farmers, technology extension services packaged with skill training, input support, and other assistance could be a consideration in the future.…”

ICT4D 3.0? Part 1—The components of an emerging “digital‐for‐development” paradigm

“…This has already happened in familiar ways with the increasing connectivity of mobile phones, tablets, laptops and PCs—10 billion devices were internet‐connected in 2016 (ITU, ). But the main growth area—25 billion devices predicted by 2020—is seen to be two types of connection: first, stand‐alone sensors—for example providing agricultural readings from fields or medical readings from health centres (Deichmann, Goyal, & Mishra, ; Islam, Kwak, Kabir, Hossain, & Kwak, ), and second, sensors integrated into mainstream objects from cars and refrigerators to toilets and shoes (MIT Technology Review, ). All these applications become smart when they move from a passive ability to collect and transmit data to an active ability to take a decision and action on the basis of that data (Heeks, ) : smart irrigation systems that automatically water dry crops and smart electricity grids that automatically isolate and re‐route around transmission failures.…”

Africa's Pulse, No. 19, April 2019: An Analysis of Issues Shaping Africa’s Economic Future

“…In this context, setting up the electronic infrastructure that will support or facilitate this transition will play a crucial role in helping small-scale farmers in rural-based economies to meet their savings, credit, and insurance demands (Babcock 2015). Digital technologies may help overcome information problems that restrict market access for many small-scale farmers, improve knowledge through new ways of providing extension services, and enhance the management of the agricultural supply chain (Deichmann, Goyal, and Mishra 2016). The challenge is to scale up these efforts, given the large share of agricultural employment and restricted access to credit markets.…”

“…Information and communication technologies (ICTs) support the development objectives of a country by (Deichmann, Goyal, and Mishra 2016): (a) being more inclusive (expanding market access to individuals and firms), (b) improving efficiency (thus, boosting the productivity of the different inputs), and (c) fostering innovation (through the creation of new business models). This subsection presents existing evidence at the individual, farm, or firm level that documents the impact of digital technologies on development (growth, poverty reduction, and job creation) through different channels.…”