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learning circle on |
| Rural Development |
This page reflects the work undertaken by the learning circle on rural development.
Some of our concerns are:
- What does a farmer need to know to produce more efficiently? What can farmers learn from each other, even at a distance? What must they learn from "experts"?
- What types of knowledge do rural women need to raise their standards of living? What gender differences can we identify regarding the use of information and technology?
- Agricultural markets are flawed because not all economic agents have access to the same information. To what extent can new technologies help remedy this inequality? How can we effect this? What markets are top priority?
- Transaction costs are very high in rural areas (intermediaries, distances, lack of reliable information, non-compliance in contracts, etc.) To what extent can access to timely, relevant information help reduce these costs?
- What should the role of agricultural extensionists be? How can their work be transformed by new information technologies? How can (two-way) knowledge transfer between extensionists and farmers be improved?
- What is the role of agricultural research? How should it relate to producers? What changes when research is undertaken and disseminated in networks?
- What environmental problems can be resolved or better addressed with access to timely, relevant information? Information from where?
- What mechanisms related to connectivity and information could help reduce rural illiteracy, one of the principal shackles of poverty?
- The rural population relies increasingly less on farming activities. What are the implications of this on the type of information that must circulate in rural areas? On the type of education rural residents receive?
- One of the chief problems identified in the agricultural sector is its lack of connection and integration with agro-industry. How can information help consolidate inter-sectorial links?
- What types of joint projects among business, government (national & local) and civil society could be set up to strengthen the contribution of connectivity and knowledge to rural development?
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| updated 31 May 1999 |
| Conectándonos al Futuro, San Salvador, El Salvador |
| e-mail: webmaster@infocentros.org.sv |
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| learning circles : education : migration : local development : rural development : learning organizations : small & microenterprise |
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