Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture - CTA Publishing

ICTS HOLD THE KEY FOR MARKET ACCESS
Aristide Z. Adaha, Benin,
West Africa
Today’s youth wants (…)
a new form of agriculture that
uses modern techniques and
that will create a high number
of jobs in the service and ICT
sectors.
I was born and raised in Fidjrossè, in the southeast
of Cotonou, Benin. After completing my
secondary education, I won a scholarship for the
National School for Applied Economics and
Management where I completed my Bachelor’s
studies in business management.
Despite not having an agricultural background,
I would like to contribute to the development of
this sector because of its great importance to
the economy of my country.
My favourite quote: “Believe and act as if it were
impossible to fail.” – Charles F. Kettering
Essay summary
Lack of policy support, inadequate extension
services, weak land tenure and limited access
to inputs, credit, new technologies and markets.
These are some of the factors acting as a brake on
the rural economy of Benin, a country where more
than 50% of the population is engaged in the agriculture
sector. Poor market linkages pose one of
the major hurdles to better yields and incomes for
the country’s producers. Farmers lack knowledge
about market prices, new outlets, transport and
trade rules. With little or no reliable information,
small-scale producers in many parts of Benin are
totally isolated from the positive impacts of globalisation
and often fall prey to middle-men. Links
between producers’ organizations and other important
partners such as extension services and
research are often sadly lacking.
Improving access to information about markets,
production techniques and important factors
such as traceability and quality standards can
make a significant contribution to increasing
revenues for farmers. An agritrade website
designed to help producers keep abreast of market
trends and prices could be an important first
step on the path to securing higher sales volumes
and profit margins. The Indian initiative
e-Choupal is a case in point. In a local context,
the website of Benin’s National Chamber of
Agriculture would be the obvious choice for hosting
such a platform, backed up by information
centres to provide support, Internet access and
ICT training in rural areas.
| 38 Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture | PART 2