The participatory web – New potentials for ICT in rural areas

GTZ have just published a report on the potential of Web 2.0 as platforms for networking and knowledge exchange in agriculture and rural development.

The report brings together several contributions: An introduction and overview from GTZ, an introduction to NABUUR's peer-to-peer platforms, a reflection on innovation systems and web 2.0 by Peter Ballantyne, the web 2.0 stories of the Kisan blog in India and Radio La Luna in Ecuador, a profile of ETC work with farmer-led Documentation, an exploration of mobile phone use by Cambodian farmers, and an article on the CGIAR's Knowledge Sharing ToolKit.

IAALD President Peter Ballantyne's contribution concludes:

"Where information and knowledge in agriculture once comprised rather linear processes managed by specialists, tomorrow’s harvests will spring from more organic approaches where innovators of all types become active creators and managers of information and knowledge. This is already happening as researchers and farmers become bloggers, extension workers build wikis, and librarians become film makers. Underlying it all, the new ‘social’ Web 2.0 acts as a catalyst for people to interact, for knowledge sharing and communication to flourish and for innovators to connect and act together."

Download the full report (pdf)

More web 2.0 posts on this blog