By removing the obstacles to
technology, language and literacy, Question Box – an initiative of US-based
not-for-profit Open Mind – is breaking down the barriers to eradicating poverty
by providing easy access to information in hard-to-reach areas in India and
Uganda.
A
central tenet of Aid for Trade is bringing marginal producers into the global
economy. However, how can that connection be made, to share the full benefit of
free and open trade, when the producers suffer severe information asymmetry?
Frequently, middlemen exploit the information advantage, cutting out a
significant portion of the profit. Lack of timely information also affects
income when producers are unaware of broader trends at planting season. An
incorrect decision can result in crops that are worth little because of global
overproduction or that are destroyed by unexpected agricultural epidemics.
A conversation conducted in Marathi language:
Operator:
‘Hello? Thank you for calling Question Box. Please ask
your question.’
Caller:
‘Yes, please,
what is the price of tomatoes in Pune today?’
Operator:
‘…Today’s price
is 1,300 rupees per quintal at the market. Thank you for calling Question Box.’
For small producers, timely access to market
prices, trends and improved production techniques can mean the difference
between sustainability and losing the farm. Currently, over one billion adults
are illiterate. Two thirds of these are women. Nearly four billion people have
never been online. Much of the developing world relies on word of mouth, newspaper,
radio and television for knowledge.
Information
and communications technologies (ICT) can make a significant contribution both
to the income of small producers and to assuring an improved flow of products
to the international market. ICT is an ideal method to provide simple, timely
information about market prices, production techniques and connections to fair
trade buyers.
Over
the past several years, Open Mind developed and deployed a community
information system called Question Box. The core idea is to provide local,
relevant information via micro-hotlines. In India, these hotlines were accessed
via custom-built Question Boxes. In Uganda, the organization ran a rural
agriculture hotline using a network of Grameen Foundation fieldworkers with mobile
telephones. The fieldworkers worked in their communities and offered access to
the expert advice via mobile phone.
Often,
the only communications technologies available in rural areas and to small
producers are mobile telephones, radios and sometimes SMS messaging. It is
tempting to build a large, complicated system, or to introduce technologies
that are currently unfamiliar in producer communities. However, Open Mind
believes it is usually easiest and most effective to build upon systems and
technologies already in use. Familiarity with the technology platform allows
providers to devote their energies to educating communities about their new
service, rather than focusing on the mechanics of how to use it. Lastly, using
available technologies allows organizations to run small, iterative tests of
new service concepts without committing large amounts of funding up front –
essentially, moving in steps from proof-of-concept to a viable service.
With
Question Box, Open Mind was surprised to discover the depth of curiosity among
farmers in both India and Uganda. There is both a significant information gap
and a considerable desire to close that gap when the proper ICT tools are made
available. Traditional utilities, such as water and electricity, continue to lag
in reaching the world’s poorest. However, the expansion of mobile connectivity
along with the existing deep reach of radio and television provide an exciting,
highly viable opportunity to connect with and support smallholder producers, a
group that is critical to the success of the Aid for Trade agenda.
For further information visit
www.questionbox.org