Event Information

According to ITU, the UN agency for information and communications technologies, at the close of 2010 there were more than 5 billion mobile subscribers in the world - that's 70% of the world's population. More than 6.1 trillion SMS messages were sent in 2010. But how do we unlock the promise of mobile technology and innovation for the world's small holder farmers?

Erin Mote, Chief of Party, of the newly announced USAID Global Broadband and Innovations Alliance shared lessons learned from an integrated field worker technology and outreach platform. Created by a unique public private partnership, this platform helped to introduce 50 new forms of Cassava to eradicate Cassava disease in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Mote will discuss what technologies are emerging as cutting edge platforms to shape the future of agricultural extension work, the opportunity offered by occasionally connected and field worker based systems, and what's next - including an overview of the progress of Weather Information for All - a World Economic Forum/Gates/Rockefeller technology platform that will change the way farmers respond to weather and climate change throughout sub-Saharan Africa.