Mobile Information Services

Join e-Agriculture and the mFarmer Initiative for a special forum discussing types of partnerships that are conducive to creating sustainable and scalable mobile information and advisory services for farmers.



This is a unique opportunity to learn more about mFarmer Initiative, a partnership between GSMA, USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was set up to support mobile operators and agricultural partners in launching mobile information services that benefit farmers and are commercially viable.



The forum will focus on the different roles of each partner, namely mobile network operators and agricultural organizations, the assets that each bring to the partnership, and the challenges currently experienced. The forum will debate if there is a business case for serving poor rural smallholders, and look at some of the motivations for the mobile network operators and agricultural partners.  The forum will also examine how a partnership model between a mobile operator and agricultural partners can increase the financial sustainability of the service.



Subject matter experts include:

• Sharbendu Banerjee, Director of Business Development, CABI South Asia-India
• Hillary Miller-Wise, Country Director, TechnoServe Tanzania
• Collins Nweke, Project Manager, Tigo Tanzania
  
  About TIGO: the oldest wireless Telecommunications company in Tanzania
• Judy Payne, ICT Advisor, USAID
• Fiona Smith, Director, GSMA mAgri Programme
• S. Srinivasan, CEO, IKSL
  
  About IKSL: IKSL is a joint venture between Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative (IFFCO) & Airtel, the mobile operator with the greatest market share in India.

Facilitator: Michael Riggs, e-Agriculture Team and FAO



Please register at www.e-agriculture.org to participate.