Embracing Web 2.0 and Social Media: A Life-Changing Pathway for Agricultural Development Actors

“Web 2.0 and social media have become part of everyday life for most people in the developed world. But they represent a life-changing encounter for many in developing countries.” Michael Hailu, CTA Director

This book, published by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), looks at how Web 2.0 and social media have contributed to improving agriculture and rural development across the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) region. Based on testimonies from projects CTA has supported over the years, the book looks specifically at how Web 2.0 and social media have contributed to: improved policy dialogue and advocacy, value chain development, and the provision of information services. The technologies referred to in the testimonies include Twitter, Facebook, Wikis, RSS feeds, blogs, Google Drive, and Skype, which in some examples are also complemented by more traditional media such as radio. Overall, the book highlights how "[W]eb 2.0 and social media allow development actors to link up easily with peers and other stakeholders, strengthen networks, access valuable information, produce and publish their own content and redistribute content released by others."

The book features 18 stories that document the transformative power of these innovative technologies. They are divided over the following three sections:

Policy dialogue and advocacy - using social media to shape policy
This section answers the following questions: What are effective ways of stimulating policy dialogue on agricultural and rural development in ACP countries? What are the best tools for putting agriculture research and development (ARD) issues in the spotlight to stimulate change? The section includes five testimonies on how Web 2.0 and social media can be used to encourage interaction on these key issues among as many stakeholders as possible - from farmers, researchers, and young information and communication technology (ICT) innovators to extension officers and employees of ministries.

In Uganda, for example, a young trainee-turned-trainer is trying to persuade the government through social media to support the use of ICTs in agriculture and develop policies to involve the rural youth. He is also using an open-source crowdmapping platform to highlight incidences of poor service delivery in communities. The issues posted on the platform are used to generate advocacy and policy change.

In another example, a social media consultant in Tanzania is providing social media consultancy services for a range of events aimed at driving policy change in favour of agriculture. One of them, the Farmers Radio Poll, is a mobile phone and radio-based survey that aims to make farmers’ voices reach policymakers. The poll is part of a larger campaign to encourage African leaders to invest more in agriculture.

In Madagascar, an e-discussion platform launched in 2012 has encouraged interaction on topics linked to agriculture and rural development, attracting large numbers of contributors, including researchers, extension agents, farmers’ association representatives, and even a number of staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Environment. This story shows that by sharing information collected from a variety of channels, social media can help shape agricultural policy.

Value chain development - boosting connection
This section seeks to answer the following questions: How can Web 2.0 and social media help farmers, producers, and other stakeholders strengthen their position in the agricultural value chain? Which specific tools are best suited for finding information about crops, accessing markets, and sharing new technologies? The five testimonies in this chapter focus on the full range of activities required to move an agricultural product from the farm to the market and the consumer.

In one case, an agronomist in Madagascar turned to Web 2.0 and social media in an attempt to save the island’s bee population, which was being devastated by disease. He started writing a blog and contacted foreign beekeepers for advice and was subsequently invited to attend training in France. His travels convinced him that there was scope to develop the honey value chain in Madagascar, which led him to set up a fair trade association for beekeeping using social media tools to promote his initiative.

A testimony from Samoa describes how a media specialist at a women's organisation launched a programme for village women to revive the traditional craft of weaving mats from Pandanus (screw pine). Another of the programme’s aims was to teach more users about the benefits of ICTs, especially in rural areas. Training in social media such as Facebook and Twitter for marketing purposes has helped weavers reach clients in Toga, which is Samoa’s second biggest market for mats.

In another example, a district cocoa technical officer in Ghana has been using Web 2.0 tools to promote the development of products rooted in a local geographical and cultural environment by means of a 'geographical indication'. A geographical indication is a sign used on certain products that corresponds to a specific location to certify that a product is made according to traditional methods and has a verifiable geographical origin.

Provision of information services - impact of knowledge sharing
This section seeks to answer the following questions: How can Web 2.0 and social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Wikis, and RSS feeds reduce your budget by more than half and simultaneously increase efficiency? Why bring specialists together under one roof when you can do the same work online using Google Drive and Skype? The eight testimonies in this chapter illustrate the different ways that farmers, researchers, youth, and many others in the agricultural sector in ACP countries can create and share information more easily, efficiently, and at a lower cost.

In Benin, for example, an agronomy student who trained in Web 2.0 and social media is working to improve access to information for farmers in her country through podcasts recorded in local languages. She uses Twitter, LinkedIn, Hangout, and Skype to encourage interaction and cooperation between professionals online and is involved in a web platform that provides agricultural information for young people and allows them to share and exchange resources and ideas. More than 1,000 people have signed up to the platform, and that figure is growing.

In Madagascar, a development researcher trained in Web 2.0 and social media is helping to put a women’s organisation - with no previous presence on the web - on the map. People are now contacting the organisation to ask about partnerships, offer their services, or request information. This researcher also runs a personal blog which provides highly specific information on issues such as aquaculture, beef, or poultry farming.

A testimony from Trinidad and Tobago describes how an agricultural blogger, journalist, and social media reporter established a company that aims to empower youth and provide better wages in the agricultural sector. Through Facebook and other social media tools, he has shared information about opportunities for young people in agriculture in the hope of persuading them to become agripreneurs.