Use of ICT for agriculture in GIZ projects

The international community, donor countries and private sector, have showed their interest in what the information and communication technology sector can provide to support development assistance goals. The sector experiences an unprecedented boom in the last decades. ICT products are affordable and accessible and are used in the most remote parts of the world already.

The broad use of ICT presents also an opportunity of the agricultural sector and producers, as well as donor agencies, are hoping to use them to guide the process rural transformation towards sustainability and inclusivity. The international community has recognised the potential of technology and is already actively cooperating with the sector to develop new and adapted products and methods that will serve the sustainable development values.

The study “Use of ICT for Agriculture in GIZ projects – Status quo, opportunities and challenges” is a guideline that summarises the experience GIZ made with ICT for agriculture over the last years. The objective of the study is to provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities technologies has to offer and to support policy makers in their decisions to engage with ICT4ag. The study was commissioned by the Sector Network Rural Development Africa (SNRD) in collaboration with the Sectoral Project “Rural Development” in GIZ, Bonn. It covers over 150 GIZ projects with ICT-focus, with highlights on the ones that applied ICT innovations in the ARD sector.