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Societal Digital Platforms for Sustainability: Agriculture

Author

Listed:
  • Srikanta Bhaskara

    (eKisaan Foundation, Rajajinagar Industrial Town, Bengaluru 560001, India)

  • Kamaljit S. Bawa

    (Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA
    Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru 560064, India)

Abstract

During the last several decades, international and national agricultural research infrastructures have rapidly expanded, bringing the outputs of agricultural research to the world’s farmers. However, despite huge investments in agricultural research, there have been few systematic efforts to create digital platforms to meet the information requirements of farmers in a changing world. We describe an interactive information system in real time to provide agricultural information to farmers. The goals were to increase yields, reduce or optimize farm inputs, inform farmers about markets and government policies, and enable digital literacy among farmers, which (in the long run) would enhance rural incomes. Farmer clubs were created at the village level to increase engagement in the program and to access information. A call-in help center enabled farmers to get information in real time. In addition, a digital platform named eKisaan delivered relevant and contextual information in the local language, mostly in the video format via mobile and cloud technologies. The platform provided information about crop management and a variety of other parameters. The combined incremental savings and incremental earnings resulted in an estimated increase of 15% in income after 18 months, totaling INR₹26,250,000 (US$365,000), followed by an additional increase of 7% in the third year. The approximate cost of the information technology program and help center was INR₹15,000,000 (US$208,000). Over time, costs can decrease by spreading fixed costs over several years, with benefits reaching more farmers. Thus, the digital systems focused on information alone can be cost-effective, reduce inputs, increase productivity and income, and foster sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Srikanta Bhaskara & Kamaljit S. Bawa, 2021. "Societal Digital Platforms for Sustainability: Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-8, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5048-:d:547099
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dongkai Lin & Bingsheng Fu & Kexiao Xie & Wanhe Zheng & Linjie Chang & Jinke Lin, 2023. "Research on the Improvement of Digital Literacy for Moderately Scaled Tea Farmers under the Background of Digital Intelligence Empowerment," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-26, September.
    2. Lishi Mao & Junfeng Song & Siyuan Xu & Degui Yu, 2023. "Impact of Digital Platform Organization on Reducing Green Production Risk to Tackle COVID-19: Evidence from Farmers in Jiangsu China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Neeraj Singh & Kushankur Dey, 2023. "A typology of agricultural market information systems and its dimensions: Case studies of digital platforms," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Zhang, Qian & Webster, Natasha A. & Han, Shengnan & Ayele, Workneh Yilma, 2023. "Contextualizing the rural in digital studies: A computational literature review of rural-digital relations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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