“Localizing impact through inclusion, inspiration, and innovation” was the theme for the 2024 ICTforAg conference, which ran May 28-30 in several global locations and online. At the Washington, D.C. event, three MRR / ALL-IN* researchers presented their work. Already traveling to Washington, D.C. for the MRR Lab’s annual Technical Meeting, Mercy Kamau, Muhammad Kabir Salihu, and Khadijat Amolegbe signed onto the conference as a unique opportunity to share their work with new audiences. 

The panel was also unique and important for the conference. Conferences in Washington, D.C. often have minimal representation from the Global South. The MRR/ALL-IN panel of Africans researching ICT for African agriculture added some of this representation, which was especially relevant given the conference's Localization theme. “The fact that our panel comprised researchers from Africa leading research in their own countries set us apart from other panelists and presenters,” observed Mercy Kamau. 

Kabir Salihu noted another way the panel stood out. “What set our panel apart, I believe, was the combination of rigorous academic research with practical, on-the-ground case studies,” said Kabir. “This approach resonated with practitioners in the ICT4Ag space who are keen to bridge the gap between theory and implementation.” 

Mercy Kamau

Senior Research Fellow at Tegemeo Institute, Egerton University, Kenya

Digital Agro-Weather Advisories 

 

Mercy Kamau presented her research, “Digital Agro-Weather Advisories: Evidence from Farming Communities in Kenya.” Mercy’s team is conducting an evaluation of the Kenyan government’s service that sends SMS recommendations to farmers, based on their specific value chain and weather. 

Following Mercy’s presentation, the audience queried how the agro-advisories factored into farmers’ decision making. Mercy remarked, “The feedback received will strengthen our technical papers and presentations going forward.”

Muhammad Kabir Salihu

Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

Picture-Based Insurance 

Muhammad Kabir Salihu's presentation, “Scaling Mutual Weather Index Insurance to Smallholders Farmers with Digital Pictures,” described his project with Peter Njiforti that offers farmers Takaful (Sharia Law-compliant) mutual weather index insurance. Payout triggers are determined not only through satellite measurements of rainfall, but also through analysis of crop photos that are submitted through an online platform.   

Kabir reflected, “The audience's enthusiasm and insightful questions were certainly a highlight. The key points of interest seemed to revolve around the potential of picture-based insurance to reduce basis risk, as well as the scalability and adaptability of our research to address broader challenges facing smallholder farmers.” 

Khadijat Amolegbe

University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Digital Literacy for E-Commerce

Khadijat Amolegbe presented her study, “Digital literacy, output market access and demand for rural e-commerce.” Testing the impact of training farmers on digital literacy skills for online marketplace platforms, Khadijat’s ultimate objective is improving farmers’ access to markets. 

Khadijat appreciated that other panels touched on the same theme. She recalled, “The event emphasized the importance of promoting digital literacy when implementing agritech interventions in rural farming communities, offering valuable insights on expanding and scaling up research on digital literacy.” 
 

Closing Thoughts

Kabir also appreciated other presentations on his research topics, noting “growing recognition of the potential for image-based solutions to enhance weather index insurance products.” He continued, “I also noticed a shared emphasis across several presentations at the conference on the importance of combining technological innovation with a deep understanding of local contexts and farmer needs. This aligns perfectly with our research approach.” 

Mercy summed up the overall experience: “The ICTforAg 2024 conference was a great learning and networking opportunity. It was a great forum to learn about ongoing work and initiatives, network with potential collaborators (researchers, practitioners) and funders of digital agricultural innovations and related research.”

*Advancing Local Leadership, Innovation and Networks (ALL-IN) is a partnership with the International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) to support African-led research.