ICTs to address information inefficiencies in food supply chains
2021
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
In developing countries, incomplete and/or asymmetric information contributes to inefficiencies in food supply chains. Various products and services have emerged that rely on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to facilitate information flows between agro-input providers, farmers, traders and consumers. Examples include crowd-sourced price information and market intelligence services, ICT mediated agricultural advisory services, and user-experience rating-based quality assurance. However, not all initiatives are equally effective and many struggle to reach scale. We zoom in on some of the design features that characterize successful ICT enabled agricultural information initiatives, such as the technology used or the content disseminated. We further explore why ICT applications that address information inefficiencies seem to have less impact than innovations that address other barriers to efficient and inclusive food supply chains such as risk or credit constraints. We point out the dangers of bypassing vulnerable groups and shown how inclusiveness can be increased. We also discuss how social networks can be leveraged to accelerate information dissemination.
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