Policy brief - Youth contribution to E-Agriculture Forum on Communication for Development and ICTs for Family Farming

From the 22nd of September to the 6th of October 2014, the e-Agriculture Community of Practice organized its 24th e-Agriculture forum as part of the participatory discussion on the theme “Communication for Development, community media and ICTs for family farming and rural development” organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC). The forum took place within the framework of the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF).

The e-Agriculture forum complemented the outcomes of three regional online consultations, which took place from 25 August to 12 September 2014 through the online platforms of Onda Rural, for Latin America; YenKasa, for Africa; and ComDev Asia, for Asia and the Pacific. 

Three YPARD members were invited as subject experts to share their experience and opinions at a regional and global level about how effective communication and community media really are in rural areas, and to discuss with the guest subject matter experts the success and challenges in the use of ICTs and communication tools and services by family farmers. 

While Marina Cherbonnier, YPARD Web and Communications Manager, took part in the global level online discussions, YPARD country representatives for Zambia and Colombia - Simon Wandila and Miguel Corredor - participated in the regional e-conversations for Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean respectively.

The inputs collected during the participatory discussion process subsequently contributed to the face-to-face Forum on Communication for development and Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM), held on 23 and 24 October 2014 in Rome, Italy.

Ideas discussed during the FCCM were aimed at identifying opportunities, policy options and strategic initiatives to promote rural communication services in support of family farming and rural development.

Clikc here to read the Policy Brief, available in English, French and Spanish. 

Picture credit: Seedlings of vegetable marrows, by Philip Pena.