Presentation from ICT4Agriculture: innovation and the 'last mile' - an event held by the Humanitarian Centre and ARM as part of the Global Food Futures Year and the "ICT4 . . ." series.

1. GRASSROOTS AFRICA
the Information Network for African Farmers
www.grassrootsafrica.org
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2. A Global Farmers’ Question Time
• A farmer puts a question to the intermediary
• The intermediary posts the question on the website.
• A practitioner – probably, but not necessarily based in
Africa – posts an answer. There is an online discussion.
• Once a consensus answer is reached, it is passed back
to the intermediary to pass back to the farmer.
• An e-mail is passed on to everyone who has registered
an interest in the subject
• In the long term, the farmer will be able to ask and
receive the information directly, in her own vernacular

3. The stages
• Stage 1; working principally via intermediaries
in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda
• Stage 2. We aim to reach the most marginal
farmers of all, mostly women, working in
depleted soils, with decreasing rainfall, poor
tools and weak seeds
• They are illiterate, live in remote areas, speak
only their own vernacular language and have
no access to the most basic information.

4. Information is power
• The internet and mobile devices are making
enormous inroads
• For the time being, GRASSROOTS AFRICA will
deliver information via the internet, in English,
and through local intermediaries
• These intermediaries range from the personnel of
local self-help groups, co-operatives, ministries of
agriculture, Christian Aid partners, Oxfam field
staff and others
• In the long run farmers will be able to help other
farmers through mobile devices

5. Who are we?
We have incorporated the project as a Community
Interest Company (CIC)
• Three directors
(with backgrounds in economic development, law, management)
• Five people in the engine room
(IT, accounts, fundraising, microfinance, research)
We have raised £4,000 from local friends. Local
schools are undertaking research and helping with
our media work.

6. PLEASE SUPPORT THE
PROJECT AND JOIN US
www.grassrootsafrica.org
……thanks