VIEWPOINT
Frontiers
of ACP Young Leaders in
ICTs & Agriculture
*ACP
means African, Caribbean and Pacific
By Raymond
Erick Zvavanyange
“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great;
some
achieve greatness and some
have greatness thrust upon them” (William Shakespeare)
The quote from William
Shakespeare depicts ACP young leaders’
attitude and brush with technology for agriculture. Young leaders are
experimenting with new media, software applications, value chains, and ways of
organization with the objective of making an impact in their lives and that of
farmers. While it is unforeseen how some of the technologies will shape as time
lapses, at present it is quite convenient to get online through devices
available on the market, send a message, and wait for a feed back from the
other end. Of course, this is applicable to those with access and those on the
edge-of-access. This trend opens possibilities in new frontiers.
Because
agricultural innovation is here to stay any attempt to move policy to action ought
to be examined and correctly applied. Not every attempt is tied with economic gains, increase
in yield, is welcome, and leads to costs reduction. There is a price to pay known to innovators at the
very least. For ACP countries dominated with the economic model in agricultural innovation, this unintentionally
produces duplicate-innovation
over original innovation. Innovation by its very nature is, remains, and
will be innovation.
Of meetings anything outside agreed precepts waits
for its vote or if surprises emerge, it’s an opportunistic priority. Agriculture
is not business as usual any more. In earlier forms of engagement claims to greatness by members were
almost non-existent except from those in authority. Today, all age groups
clamor for equality and recognition. Each risks being overtaken if they don’t lay hold of the role
first. One contested Chinese character for crisis (危机) aptly illustrates this; danger-and-opportunity side by side.
ACP young leaders
should examine the fixes to implement in ICTs and agriculture. Be they top-down, down-up, and system-oriented, the pressure this puts
on leaders cannot be overemphasized. ICTs users and target groups in agriculture
might be oriented towards
the see-and-wait state over the traditional wait-and-see from the corporate media. ACP leaders ought to be cognizant of this assumption and furthermore, own context. Ways
to ascertain this can then be tabled. There is no doubt
this method overlooks the legitimacy, authority, and accountability of
now-leaders when set into motion.
References:
1. e-Agriculture. 2011. The Year in Review. January Newsletter. Website: http://www.e-agriculture.org/
2. J.R. Beddington et al. 2012. What’s next for agriculture After
Durban? Science Vol 335 no. 6066 pp.289-290 Website: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6066/289.summary
3. Calestous Juma.2011. The New Harvest. Agricultural innovation in Africa . Oxford
University
4. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Website:
Note:
Views solely for academic and/or professional discussion.
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