This document discusses the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the agricultural sector. It first reviews ICT-enabled projects in businesses and their common failures. It then analyzes agricultural value chains using Porter's value chain model and the Global Value Chain framework. The document proposes a method to identify how different ICT technologies can add value at various stages of agricultural production and distribution by reviewing case studies. It finds ICT products are relevant across the entire agricultural value chain but their use varies due to human labor involvement. It concludes by questioning whether ICT is efficiently used by agricultural stakeholders.

1. Research Methods & Professional Issues
ICT in Agriculture
Implementation of ICT solutions in the agricultural sector
Kouao Serge Kedja
s5075958@bournmouth.ac.uk
Information Technology MSc
Bournemouth University, UK
January 19th, 2017

2. Content
1. ICT-enabled projects in businesses
2. Agricultural value chains
3. ICT for agriculture: the proposal
4. Conclusion and further work

3. 1. ICT enabled projects in businesses
Operational issuesTechnical issues
+ =
• Project failures
• Investment losses
•Lost business opportunities
• Waste of resources
Image 1 credit : Morburre on Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Image 2 credit : Golem13 on Pinterest

4. Why agriculture?
“Agriculture needs to be an integral part of the solutions for
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which
requires a systems approach”
Achim Steiner
Administrator of the United Nations
Development Programme
9th Annual Forum for the Future of Agriculture, Brussels (March 2016)

5. Porter’s Value Chain (1985)
2. Agricultural value chains
Value Chain analysis :
a systematic approach
to define the needs of
the agricultural sector

6. 2. Agricultural value chains
Level GVC analysis Dimension General purpose
Global
Input-Output Structure
Describing the process of transforming
raw materials into final products
Geographic Scope Explaining how the industry is dispersed
Governance Structure: Lead Firms
& Industry Organisation
Explaining how the firms control the VC
Local
Upgrading
Describing the dynamic movement
within the VC
Local Institutional Context
Describing the local economic and social
context
Industry Stakeholders
Describing how the distinct local actors
of the VC interact to achieve upgrading
Gereffi and Fernandez-Stark (2016)
Global Value
Chains for a
global business
sector analysis

7. 2. Agricultural value chains
The Technical Centre for Rural and Agricultural Cooperation (CTA)
Approach to
Integrating
ICTs into
Agricultural
Value Chain

8. 3. ICT for agriculture: the proposal
The method:
Review of study cases, narrative reports,
journal articles, available technologies
• Use Central Product Classification (CPC v2)
• Identifying the type of technology that can
add a value to a given activity
• Counting occurrences into consideration

9. 3. ICT for agriculture: the proposal
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1. PRE-PRODUCTION 2. PRODUCTION 3. POSTHARVEST 4. DATA & CLIMATE 5. FINANCE 6. CONNECTIONS AND
LINKAGES
Occurences of ICTs in reviewed study cases
Computers and peripheral equipment Communication equipment
Consumer electronic equipment Manufacturing services for ICT equipment
Business and productivity software and licensing services Information technology consultancy and services
Telecommunications services Leasing or rental services for ICT equipment
Other ICT services

10. 4. Conclusion and further work
• ICT products cover all the value activities of the
agricultural sector
• The use of ICT is unequally distributed across the value
chain activities because of the part of the human labour
involvement at each stage
• ICT often innovates specially for agriculture
…But are ICT efficiently used by Agriculture stakeholders?

11. Thanks for your attention
Questions and answers
Image credit : agrible.com