CTA and ICTs

1
CTA and ICTs

• Gesa Wesseler

2
What Is CTA?

• The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural
  Co-operation ACP-EU
• Founded in 1983 under the Lomé Convention
• Since 2000 operates under the framework of the
  ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement (successor agreement to
  Lomé)
• Headquarters in Wageningen, the Netherlands
• 40 staff

3
CTAs Niche

• Geographic ACP regions (77 countries in Africa,
  Caribbean, Pacific)
• Overall objectives Poverty alleviation, food
  security, sustainable management of natural
  resources, sustained and equitable growth
• Thematic/sectoral Information and Communication
  Management (ICM) for agricultural and rural
  development
• Strategic Provision of information services and
  strengthening of ICM capacities

4
ICT-based activities

• Electronic publications (books Spore)
• Websites and Portals (e.g., AgriTrade)
• Electronic discussions
• ICT Observatory
• GenARDIS
• ICT Update
• ---------------------------
• Distance learning
• Virtual Library

5
Future themes for ICTs in agriculture and rural
development in Africa

• 1. Research aspect - ICTs and development
  topics
• Cross-cutting issues
• Gender and agriculture in the information
  society
• Youth, agriculture and ICTs
• ICTs for different uses
• Changing the face of agricultural extension
• Improving market information systems
• Etc.

6
Future themes (contd)

• 2. Operational aspect - combining modern ICTs
  with traditional communication technologies
• Print and electronic publishing (e.g., Spore ICT
  Update gt Internet, e- mail and print versions)
• Rural radio resource packs (radio, CD-ROM,
  print) content generation for WorldSpace