Titre du projet:
Promoting the cultivation of healthy vegetables by farmers: a gender approach to using information and communication technologies
Brief description:
The purpose of the project is to empower women farmers broaden their economic opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to diseases and hunger through the use of ICTs (internet, radio cum telephone (digital radio), market information centres, audiocassettes and video cassettes) to access information on healthy vegetable production.
The specific objectives of the project are to:
Sensitise and support MOFA and the CRI to use the internet to access and communicate information on healthy vegetable production and marketing.
Understand gender differences in the use of ICT (internet, radio cum telephone (digital radio), market information centres, audiocassettes and video cassettes) to access information on healthy vegetable production
Improve women vegetable farmers access to ICTs (digital radio, market information centres, audiocassettes and video cassettes)
Improve the skills and capacities of women in using ICT (internet, radio cum telephone (digital radio), market information centres, audiocassettes and video cassettes ) to access information on healthy vegetable production and marketing.
Pays:
Ghana
Catégorie du problème:
Agricultural production;Access to market information;Gender roles
Catégorie Média/TIC:
ICTs;Radio
Catégorie de l'activité:
Agricultural production;Computer training;Internet training;Training
Catégorie de bénéficiare:
Women farmers;Rural women
Organisation:
CRI - Crops Research Institute
Personne de contact:
Collins Osei
Adresse:
CRI-Crops Research Institute
P.O. Box 3783
Kumasi
Décrivez le contexte historique de votre projet, aussi bien que la motivation pour sa mise en oeuvre.
Studies showed that women play an important role in vegetable production and marketing in the Techiman Metropolis of Ghana and they contribute to the household food self security programme. But this women have not benefiited from face-to-face technology dissemination activities because of household chores. Radio penetraton is high.
Racontez-nous quelques détails à propos des participants a la réalisation du projet et l’équipe de project.
1) Project coordinator - coordinate and reports on all project activities;
2) Metropolitan Director - supervise sfield activities at Techiman Metropolis;
3) Head of Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) - liaises between 3 identified women-dominated farmer groups and the Project;
4)Programme officer for agricultural and educational programmes – lserves as the ink between the CLASSIC FM Radio Station and the project;
5) 5 Representatives of 3 farmer groups - liaise between identified groups and head of WIAD
Qui sont les bénéficiaires du projet? Détaillez l’historique des bénéficiaires, ainsi que leur contexte sociopolitique et économique. Décrivez notamment le rôle et la situation des femmes.
Three women-dominated farmer groups of 70 women and 25 men;
They are rural farmers who are into vegetable production as cash crop. During the off season, they process cassava into gari.
They have not benefited fully from existing channels for technology dissemination particularly when access to these channels conflict with their household responsibilities
Quelles leçons vouliez-vous/espériez-vous tirer de la mise en oeuvre du projet?
a) The gender difference in the use of relevant ICT (radio, telephone, market information centers and recorded tapes) to access farm and market information
b) Do small farmers particularly women farmer groups have access to farm information from sources other than extension?
c) How can women farmer-groups be assisted to improve their access to farm and market information using information communication technologies?
Quels résultats vouliez-vous réaliser de la mise en œuvre du projet?
a) To facilitate access to improved technologies and market information by women farmer-groups through relevant ICTs;
b) To link women farmer-groups in the project to relevant agricultural institutions and FM radio broadcast on agricultural programmes;
c) To promote the production of healthy vegetables among women farmers through multiple sources of information.
Partagez quelques leçons que vous et votre équipe avez apprises.
a) The involvement of muli-stakeholders in the project provided a learning experience for all.
For example:
-----Women farmers in particular broadened their sources of farm and market information to include use of telephone, radio and the agricultural market information centre
-----Extension Agents gained skills in radio information delivery
b) The use of ICTs such as telephones, radio, internet and market information centres prior to the project was low and unreliable.
For example:
----The use of mobile phones by individual farmers was limited to social calls to relatives inside and outside Ghana with few farmers using it to source for farm and market information
----Internet use was uncommon with extension agents and farmers apparently due to the absence of internet connectivity in the metropolis.
----FM Radio as a source of farm information was irregular
Est-ce qu’il y avait des résultats ou bénéfices inattendus de la réalisation du projet?
a) The project facilitated the purchase of 3 radio cassette players by 3 farmer-groups. (The project paid for 2/3 of the total cost whiles farmer-groups contributed 1/3 of the total cost)
b) Cost of some of the project activities was higher than anticipated. For example, the cost of radio programmes was partly covered by a Commonwealth of Learning (COL) sponsored project on healthy vegetable production.
c- One of the farmer-groups in the project won an award for its involvement in agricultural radio programmes in the metropolis
Planifiez-vous ou voulez-vous réaliser des activités de suivi? Quelles sont les prochaines étapes?
Yes.
a) To secure further funding to assist women farmers make commercially useful decisions on their vegetables produced under minimum spray of pesticides.
b) To make the above possible by linking up the local FM and community radios to market information centers of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Pouvez-vous identifier quelques leçons politiques apprises de votre projet?
a) Multiplicity of local languages
b) High illiteracy rate among women farmers
Avez-vous des recommandations à faire aux décideurs politiques sur l’amélioration de la situation des femmes par rapport aux TICs dans l’agriculture?
a) Review existing best practices in ICTs for rural development that exist in other develop countries through literature review and visits
b) Encourage networking of bodies involved in ICTs for rural development
c) -Establish and implement legal framework in ICT for rural development to facilitate activities of government and non-government institutions #
