Justification for the sub-themes and Caribbean Specific ICT Indicators impacting AGRICULTURE and FOOD and NUTRITION SECURITY

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Justification for the sub-themes and Caribbean
Specific ICT Indicators impactingAGRICULTURE and
FOOD and NUTRITION SECURITY

• CARICOM Workshop On The Development Of Caribbean
  Specific
• Information And Communication
• Technologies (CSICT) Statistics And Indicators
• St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda
• 6-9 December 2011

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Content of Presentation

• Introduction
• Definition of the ICT Sector
• Initiatives impacting the production of
  Agricultural Statistics
• Background to the Projects/ Initiatives and
  Activities
• Development of CSICT Indicators
• Development of Sub-themes
• Definition of the phases in the Agricultural
  cycle
• Phases in the Agricultural Cycle

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Content of Presentation

• Food and Nutrition Security
• Dimensions of Food Security
• Development of the Sub-themes
• Proposed CSICT Indicators and Justification
• Tables
• Sources of Information
• Conclusions and Recommendations

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Introduction

• This presentation shows how the technologies and
  products that process, transmit, and display
  information electronically can contribute to food
  and nutrition security in the region by
• production of CSICT Indicators can be used to
  measure and monitor the impact of ICT in
• contributing to the achievement of the objectives
  and implementation of the Regional Food and
  Nutrition Security Policy
• realising the possible benefits to the private
  and public sectors as well as households and
  communities throughout the region.
• providing solutions to address issues, challenges
  and concerns identified in Regional Food and
  Nutrition Security Policy document

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Introduction

• This presentation also shows how technologies
  and products that process, transmit, and display
  information electronically can contribute to food
  and nutrition security in the region by
• ICT can
• drive information and communication processes
  necessary to enhance agricultural and rural
  development and produce E-Agriculture
  information.
• Assist in the conceptualization, design,
  development, evaluation and application of
  innovative ways to use information and
  communication technologies (ICT) in the rural
  domain, with a primary focus on agriculture.

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Introduction
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Definition of the ICT Sector

• All technologies and products that process,
  transmit, and display information electronically,
  including that section of the content industry
  that is engaged in the transformation of products
  for electronic distribution (online or
  otherwise).
• The definition includes the manufacture of ICT
  goods, the delivery of ICT services, the trade in
  ICT goods, inclusive of the retail trade in ICT
  goods (that is accompanied by services incidental
  to the sale) and other incidental ICT enabling
  activities. (OECD and CARICOM)

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Initiatives Impacting the Production of
Agricultural Statistics

• Regional Policy Formulation on Agricultural and
  Rural Statistics International Fund for
  Development (IFAD) in partnership with the
  Statistical Conference of the Americas (SCA).
• Promoting CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security Phase
  11 (the establishment of Early Warning Systems)
  an FAO Project
• CARICOMs Regional Food Nutrition Security
  Policy, approved by the Council for Trade
  Economic Development (COTED) (Agriculture) in
  October 2010.

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Background to the Projects and Activities

• Regional Policy Formulation on Agricultural and
  Rural Statistics
• Objective
• To contribute to the improvement of agricultural
  and rural statistics in Latin America and the
  Caribbean, to make them useful and relevant for
  policy making.
• Justification
• Monitor changes and modifications in production
  of agricultural processes and its economic,
  social and environmental implications in the
  rural areas.

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Background to the Projects and Activities

• Promoting CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security Phase
  11
• Challenges Identified in ensuring Food Security
• small size,
• vulnerability to natural disasters
• a changing economic environment characterised by
  
• a lack of international competitiveness
• a loss of preferential markets
• and a rules-based approach to agricultural
  policy.

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Background to the Projects and ActivitiesPromotin
g CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security Phase 11

• Objective
• Improving the overall food availability and the
  incomes
• of rural people by enhancing the capability of
  the
• Agri - food producers to increase
• volume
• value of food output in CARIFORUM
• Justification
• Grounded in the recent rapid rise in prices of
  basic foodstuff which has served to emphasise the
  risks associated with the high dependence of
  imported food.

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Background to the Projects Initiatives and
Activities

• CARICOMs Regional Food Nutrition Security
  Policy
• The RFNSP was formulated by a Technical Working
  Group comprising representatives of Belize,
  Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, OECS, UWI,
  CFNI and IICA, nominated by CARICOM Member States
  and serving under the leadership and guidance of
  the Agricultural Development Unit of the CARICOM
  Secretariat with assistance from the FAO
• The need for an urgent and coherent response to
  the food security and public health and nutrition
  challenges facing CARICOM prompted Member States
  to prepare a Regional Policy for Food and
  Nutrition Security (RPFNS).

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Background to the Projects Initiatives and
Activities

• CARICOMs Regional Food Nutrition Security
  Policy
• Objectives
• To ensure that the regional food production,
  processing, distribution, marketing, trade, and
  food safety and agricultural public health system
  is capable of providing safe, adequate,
  nutritious and affordable food for the regions
  inhabitants at all times, thereby achieving food
  and nutrition security.

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Background to the Projects Initiatives and
Activities

• CARICOMs Regional Food Nutrition Security
  Policy
• Justification
• The formulation of this policy will enable
  Member States to secure for their private and
  public sectors as well as for households and
  communities throughout the region, benefits and
  economic externalities that they would be unable
  to access acting in isolation, and at a lower
  cost than they would otherwise face.

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Development of Sub-themes

• The sub-themes on the theme Agriculture-Food and
  Nutrition Security were derived from the four
  main objectives of the Regional Food and
  Nutrition Security Policy which will both address
  issues and provide benefits in the following
  areas
• Availability of Food
• Access to Food
• Food Utilisation and Nutritional Adequacy
• Stability of Food Supply

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Development of CSICT Indicators

• ICT can provide solutions to address issues and
  concerns whilst realising the benefits in the
  sub-themes mentioned before by measuring and
  monitoring the impact through the production of
  CSICT Indicators in the following areas
• Food Availability - Production/Trade
• Food Access - Social Welfare/Equity
• Food Utilization Nutritional Adequacy/Stability
  of Supply - Natural Resources/Environment
• Stability of Supply -Institutions/Infrastructure/R
  esource Mobilization
• What are the issues and concerns of the region?
• What are the benefits that could be derived?
• What are the CSICT indicators?

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Development of CSICT Indicators
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Definitions of the phases in Agriculture

• The main phases of the agriculture industry are
• Crop cultivation, Water management, Fertilizer
  Application, Fertigation, Pest management,
  Harvesting, Post harvest handling, Transporting
  of food/food products, Packaging, Food
  preservation, Food processing/value addition,
  Food quality management, Food safety, Food
  storage, Food marketing.

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Definitions of the phases in Agriculture

• Crop cultivation is the process of preparing the
  soil for
• Planting. The processes involved are

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Phases in Agricultural cycle

• Crop cultivation.
• How can ICT impact this phase of the Agricultural
  cycle?

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Phases in Agricultural cycle

• Water management is the activity of planning,
  developing, distributing and managing the optimum
  use of water resources

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Phases in Agricultural cycle

• Fertigation is the application of fertilizers,
  soil amendments, or other water-soluble products
  through an irrigation system

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Phases in Agricultural Cycle

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Food and Nutrition Security

• Definition
• Food security exists when all people, at all
  times, have physical and economic access to
  sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet
  their dietary needs and food preferences for an
  active and healthy life.
• In the CARICOM region, a recent study found that
  food security is compromised not so much by lack
  of food availability as by inadequate access to
  foods and dietary patterns that adversely impact
  on nutritional status.
• N.B. Food Security is not Food Availability

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Food and Nutrition Security

• The Question
• Can ICT not only increase the availability of
  food but more importantly improve the access to
  adequate quantities of safe, quality food in
  particular to poor, rural communities across the
  Region to not only insure that they have access
  to healthy food but are able to afford it.
• The Issue as it relates to adequate quantities of
  safe,
• healthy, quality food is one of
• availability
• access
• affordability

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Dimensions in Food Security

• They are four dimensions to Food Security
• The availability of Food
• food production and processing
• water management on farms
• trade imports and exports
• stockpiling of food stocks and the availability
  of food aid
• Access to Food
• Marketing and transport infrastructure and food
  distribution systems markets, supermarkets,
  transport of produce
• Purchasing power or having the money to buy
  affordable food
• Social programmes to ensure access to nutritious
  food e.g. smart card, food stamps, meals on
  wheels

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Dimensions in Food Security

• Utilisation
• The safe and healthy utilisation of the food
  consumed by individuals
• Good health status, since healthy individuals can
  make proper use of food
• Nutritious food choices for all age groups.
  Inappropriate consumption patterns give rise to
  non-communicable, diet related diseases
• Food safety and quality
• Access to clean water and sanitation

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Dimensions in Food Security

• Utilisation
• The stability or sustainability of food supplies,
  access to that food and the utilisation of the
  food consumed.
• Anything that interrupts food supply and access
  or interferes with the utilisation of food will
  lead to food insecurity. This can be chronic or
  transitory.
• Chronic food insecurity is associated with
  problems of continuing or structural poverty, low
  incomes and health issues.
• Transitory food insecurity involves periods of
  increased pressure caused by natural disasters,
  economic collapse or conflict.

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Dimensions in Food Security

• Stability of Food Supply
• The stability of food availability, access and
  utilisation.
• Conditions for agricultural production including
  the weather, water supply, pest and disease
  management
• The economic environment including economic
  shocks, loss of preferences and price
  fluctuations
• Emergencies and disasters including drought,
  floods, pest and disease outbreaks and wars
• Lifestyle conditions in relation to sanitation,
  diet and exercise.

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Development of the Sub-themes
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Development of the Sub-themes Availability of Food

• Objective
• Promote the sustainable production, processing,
  preparation, commercialization and consumption of
  safe, affordable, nutritious, high quality
  Caribbean food commodities/products.
• The availability of Food
• food production and processing
• water management on farms
• trade imports and exports
• stockpiling of food stocks and the availability
  of food aid

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Development of the Sub-themes Availability of Food
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Development of the Sub-themes Availability of Food
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)

• General Considerations/ Issues Concerns/
  Challenges and Constraints
• The need for timely and high quality Agriculture
  Statistics and e-Agriculture information to be
  available and accessible
• Benefits/ Justification
• Provide farmer/ organisations data on crops and
  international crop status, information on market
  timing, prices and regional, national and
  international market conditions.
• The establishment of Early Warning Systems to
  detect and forecast sudden changes in climate,
  weather as well as the economic environment.
• Indicators Proposed - Access
• Proportion of farmers/agro-businesses accessing
  online Agricultural-type applications and
  information monitoring systems by type and use
• Proportion of farmers with access to laptops,
  PDA's, or other handsets equipped with relevant
  software/applications that allow data and
  information to be collected in the field and
  disseminated.
• Proportion of farmers receiving information on
  the weather by type of communication device.

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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)

• General Considerations/ Issues Concerns/
  Challenges and Constraints
• Inadequate Infrastructure
• Benefits/ Justification
• Objective - to measure the access to
  e-Agriculture information in rural and low income
  households
• This sub-theme addresses the issue of access to
  and availability of a radio, telephone (land and
  mobile), television (or broadcast media) and
  Internet-based communications. The likely benefit
  and impact of ICT would be the facilitation of
  both access to and receipt of agriculture and
  real time market information that can lead to
  better forecasting, planning, management and
  decision-making relative to agro-business sector.
  Access to a computer allows access to information
  (e.g. browsing), sales/purchases on- line, other
  financial information (e.g. banking), completion
  of government forms, surveys on-line, completion
  of other forms, surveys on-line and marketing.

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Sub-themes- Information Deprivation
Communication and Community Access

• Indicators Proposed - Infrastructure

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Sub-themes- Information Deprivation
Communication and Community Access

• Indicator Proposed Ability to Access Information

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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)
Objective to measure the quality of e-Agriculture
information received
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)
Objective to measure the quality of e-Agriculture
information received
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)
General Considerations/ Issues Concerns/
Challenges and Constraints Research and
Development Many risks and uncertainties are
associated with farming, arising from poor soils,
flooding, drought, erosion and pests. Benefits/
Justification Over the years research in the
sector has led to the availability of more
information about pest and disease control, early
warning systems, new varieties and new ways to
improve production and quality control.
Indicators Proposed Research
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)
Indicators Proposed Research
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)
General Considerations/ Issues Concerns/
Challenges and Constraints Benefits/
Justification By enhancing both the quality and
quantity food produced whilst reducing the cost
of production, ICT can improve the livelihoods of
those involved in the sector by delivering a
better quality of product. It can also improve on
traditional farming methods, improve the yield
per acre and thus enhance the agricultural
potential of rural areas as well as the systems
in relation to distribution, transportation and
management of the system
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvaila
bility of Food (Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document)
Indicators Proposed Improving the incomes of
farmers and those in the farming community and
sector
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvail
ability of Food Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document
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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvail
ability of Food Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document

• General Considerations/ Issues Concerns/
  Challenges and Constraints
• Benefits/ Justification
• Indicators Proposed

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Proposed CSICT Indicators and JustificationAvail
ability of Food Regional Food and Nutrition
Security Policy Document

• General Considerations/ Issues Concerns/
  Challenges and Constraints
• Benefits/ Justification
• Indicators Proposed

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Sources of Information

• http//www.agricarib.org/sites/default/files/regio
  nal_food_nutrition_security_policy_oct2010.pdf
• http//www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/258775/Worksho
  p_Summary_final.pdf
• http//www.research-europe.com/index.php/category/
  food/
• http//www.aercafrica.org/documents/ICT_project_wo
  rking_papers/Mayet_al_ICTAgriculturalDevelopmentin
  SSA.pdf
• ftp//ftp.fao.org/sids/SIDSGraham.pdf

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Thank you for your attention