Innovations such as Web3, the third generation of the internet, and easy-to-use video-based technologies in local languages have the potential to drive change in agriculture in developing countries, say technology advocates.Web3 could offer tools to allow smallholder farmers more control and ownership of their data through data sovereignty—the principle that data is subject to the laws of the country in which it is located—according to Digital Green.
Smallholder farming organizations engage with public and private sectors, civil society, and business, Gandhi explains. In the process, he adds, a lot of data is generated and held in trust by these entities on behalf of the farmers. Delegates heard about Digital Green’s video-based service, which allows advisors and farmers to create and share information among their communities in their own words and local languages.
“The video shows farmers how to implement agricultural practices in their own environment that improve productivity and incomes by promoting climate-smart practices,” Kinyua said. The innovation has reached about 2.3 million farmers—mostly in India, Ethiopia, and Kenya—with video-based advisory services, according to the organization.