Like the famous NPK fertilizer formula1 for plant growth, agricultural organizations and institutions require regular doses of the three information, knowledge and communication elements. In the right combinations, and with suitable tools and devices to formulate, spread and apply them, these ¿intellectual fertilizers¿ are critical inputs to rich and sustainable research ¿harvests.¿
The experiments are taking place in all agricultural sectors and disciplines, in libraries and documentation centers, on the Internet, with farmer groups, as part of extension, by researchers themselves, in regional networks, with data and databases, using traditional knowledge, among CGIAR information technology and information management professionals, in publishing, using geographic information systems, across mobile phones, using participatory video, and as part of knowledge management initiatives. This list can easily be expanded.
A lot of this experimentation is poorly documented ¿ even when successful. Some is captured in various web sites and portals1; much experience is shared when people meet at workshops and conferences or through professional networks and communities2. A few ¿classic¿ stories are widely circulated and appear over and over. Different traditions and communities ¿ information/documentation, ICTs in development, communication for rural development, extension, and knowledge managers - have their own landscapes for sharing.
Bringing all these together and helping to make sense of the different strands is an important role for global connectors like GFAR.
In this paper, Peter Ballantyne gives us a comprehensive overview of the situation in 2007.