Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture - CTA Publishing

HOW CAN ICTS BE USED TO IMPROVE
MARKET ACCESS FOR AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS FROM BENIN?
Babatoundé Rivaldo Alain
Kpadonou, Benin, West Africa
The humiliating and thankless
place of agriculture in ACP countries
today discourages interest
from the younger generations. Their
dream is to have a modern macroeconomic
and institutional environment
in which to develop their
ideas and build an up-to-date agricultural
sector that is capable of
facing current challenges. It is only
the youth that will be able to
develop a fresh, modern image of
agriculture in ACP countries.
I am from Benin, born in 1987 in a small village
in Adjarra, where I also attended primary
school. After graduating from high school in
Porto-Novo in 2004, I passed the competitive
entrance exam to the Faculty of Agronomy at
the University of Parakou, where I graduated
as an agro-economist. I am currently in graduate
school following a double Master’s programme,
in integrated water resources management,
and social development.
My own dream is to become a leader on the international
scene to defend African interests and
those of the most marginalized communities. My
goal is to bring together the qualities and competences
necessary to nurture my ambition.
My blog: http://www.toundeblog.blogspot.com
Essay summary
Despite its relatively recent rise, it is clear
that the contribution of ICT to agricultural
development and poverty reduction is becoming
increasingly significant. In particular, mobile
telecommunications are of special interest
because of their capacity to empower rural
African communities. Although mobile phones
were once considered luxury goods for well-todo
urban populations, they have come to be
increasingly used as the standard means of
accessing information and of communication
among rural populations.
| 30 Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture | PART 2