Social Networks for Agricultural Development

digitalGREEN www.digitalgreen.org | @digitalgreenorg

Technology Revolution?

Low literacy in local lang

No bank account Expensive credit

No unique ID

Poor roads

Credit card

Mobile devices and connectivity not enough!

farmer expert

Quantity buyers Poor quality

control

Market

4

?

Main source of information about new technology and

farm practices over the past 365 days (India: NSSO 2005)

Agricultural Social Networks

4

5 5

Video provides…

– Resource-savings: human, cost, time

– Accessibility for non-literate farmers

Digital Video for Extension

6

Six months in field trying various combinations Over 200 days of surveys, ethnographic investigation, and iterative design

Background of actors in video, Types of content, Location and timing of screening, Method of dissemination,

Degree of mediation, Background of mediator, etc.

Background of actors in video, Types of content, Location and timing of screening, Method of dissemination,

Degree of mediation, Background of mediator, etc. 6

Early Experimentation Parameters Varied Early Experimentation

7

Participatory Content Production

7

Digital Green Approach

Introduction to innovations

– Standard extension procedure

Rough “storyboarding” – Repetitive pattern; easy to

learn

– Minimize post-production

Local farmers on their own fields

– Reduce perception of “teachers”

– Promote “local stars”

8 8

Digital Green Approach

Videos Curriculum

Online video database

http://www.digitalgreen.org

>2,800 videos of 8-10 minutes each

Quality-control, minor video editing,

and metadata tagging

Indexed by type, topic, locale,

season, crop, etc.

Distributed via memory cards

9 9

Digital Green Approach

Mediated Instruction

Local mediator

– Performance-based honorarium

Human engagement

– Field questions, capture

feedback, encourage

participation

– Balance genders

On-demand screenings

– Choice time and place

– Not “stand-alone” kiosk

Support and monitoring

– Daily metrics and feedback

– Official extension staff

10 10

Digital Green Approach

Structured Sequencing

Group Participation

Practices with

longer-term

visible rewards

Practices with

short-term

visible rewards

Community Assessment

Audience

Awareness

Season

Location

Time

12 1

2

3

Network Effect

Viral Web 2.0 in the Web-less world

- Content ecosystem: education, entrepreneurship, entertainment

- Cost-realistic access: pico projectors, TVs, DVD players, and camcorders

Reinforce existing social networks to diffuse innovations through communities

Local “idol” competitions to be a better farmer

Digital Green Approach

12

13

Metrics: – Knowledge: Before-and-after

– Attendance: Farmers at each screening

– Interest: Intent to take-up a practice

– Adoption: Number of households taking up each new farming practice or technology

13

Experimental Set-Up Preliminary Evaluation

Expert

Extension

Officer

Farming

Community

Farming

Community

Farming

Community

Research Assistant

Local Mediator Local Mediator Local Mediator

Poster Green(3)

Same as Digital Green with local mediator, but no TV/DVD Mediator makes posters and holds regular group sessions

Classical GREEN Same as usual

Digital Green 1 screening/group/fortnight Cost:

Rs. 9,500 ($240) for TV/DVD per village PC / camera costs shared Extension officer shared Mediator salary

Accountability: Daily metrics and feedback Official extension staff

15-month study

Audio Green (1) Same as Poster Green with MP3 audio tracks from videos

14

7 times more adoptions over classical extension

14

Sustained local presence

Mediation

Repetition (and novelty)

Integration into existing extension operations

Social homophily between mediator, actor, and farmer

Desire to be “on TV”

Trust built from identities of farmers and villages in videos

Digital Green: Early Results

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Ap

r-0

7

May

-07

Jun

-07

Jul-

07

Au

g-0

7

Sep

-07

Oct

-07

No

v-07

Dec

-07

Jan

-08

Feb

-08

Mar

-08

Ap

r-0

8

May

-08

Jun

-08

Cu

mu

lati

ve

Ad

op

tio

n R

ate

(%)

Classic GREEN

Digital Green

Poster Green

Audio Green

15

System Cost (USD) /Village/Year

Adoption (%) /Village/Year

Cost/Adoption (USD)

Classical GREEN $840 11% $38.18

Digital Green $630 85% $3.70

Poster Green $490 59% $4.15

Cost-Benefit

15

Note: Decreasing amortized cost of hardware with time and scale

Digital Green is at least 10 times more effective

per dollar spent than classical extension!

1

10

100

1000

10000

2006 2008 2009 2012 2013 2015

Vill

ages

Pilot Research NGO Bootstrap Government and Private

Sector Partnerships

Personalized

• Analytics Data

• Farmer Feedback

Localized

• Extension Interventions

• Content Library

Generalized

• Literature Reviews

• Research Trials

Self Help Group Savings/Credit

Soil Sampling

Seed Treatment

Line Sowing

…

Market Linkages

Government Schemes

Data Management System Digital Green Technology

digitalgreen.org/coco

Analytics Digital Green Technology

analytics.digitalgreen.org

Video Courseware Digital Green Technology

digitalgreen.org/discover

Farmerbook Digital Green Technology

digitalgreen.org/farmerbook

Wonder Village Digital Green Technology

apps.facebook.com/wondervillage

The Internet in the

Developed World

The essence of the Internet is just

GET, POST, and a cloud of computing devices,.

24

Computers (and their supporting infrastructure) are scarce in the BOP.

Digital Green

But, there are other means to GET and POST.

The Internet in the

Developing World?

25

Explode Internet for

BOP:

Wired,

wireless,

and beyond!

26

Financial

operational costs,

maintenance,

training

Digital

hardware,

software,

connectivity,

content

Physical

building,

goods,

transport,

roads

Human

education,

computer literacy,

motivation,

awareness

Social

institutions,

norms,

political support

Technology is Just One Part

Financial

operational costs,

maintenance,

training

Human

education,

computer literacy,

motivation,

awareness

Social

institutions,

norms,

political support

Digital

hardware,

software,

connectivity,

content

Physical

building,

goods,

transport,

roads

In the Developed World… (includes wealthier segments of developing countries)

In the Developing World…

Digital

hardware,

software,

connectivity,

content

Technology magnifies human intent and capability.

Technology itself requires support from well-intentioned, competent people or organizations.

Successful technology interventions work as a part of well-intentioned, competent organizations.

digitalGREEN www.digitalgreen.org | @digitalgreenorg