In a series of webinars with our partners, we dove into discussing some of the critical bottlenecks in creating efficient SDMs. Now we open up those insights to a wider group.
Improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in developing economies is one of the impact focuses of IDH. And a critical question for smallholder farmers, and all who depend on their productivity, is how we can build economically viable systems to enable the delivery of key services. Therefore, the IDH agenda on smallholders has a strong focus on how to create cost-efficient models (service delivery models (SDMs)) that realize a high return on investment for both farmers and service providers—and how to ensure these models can continue without donor support.
This episode explores how service providers can use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide optimized and cost-effective services at scale to farmers. In IDH’s approach to SDMs, there are three different ways in which ICTs can improve service delivery to smallholders: to transmit agronomical and market information, as tools for farm management and planning, and to facilitate mobile payments and other financial services. Various tools have been developed to mediate these services, such as Digital Green, the Mars Farm Development Plan, and mobile payment solutions. Here, we sat down with a service provider in the Indian chili industry to discuss his take on the impact of ICTs in this sector.
To learn more about various ICT tools and their impact on agricultural practices, in the chili sector and beyond, read the full briefing paper on ICT solutions for service supply to farmers.
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