Transcript Introduction - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Leveraging Web 2.0
to
Develop Better Applications
for
Rural Communities
Amit Dasgupta
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
1
Contents

A Perspective on Knowledge Sharing Applications

Challenges in Knowledge Sharing

Leveraging Web 2.0 for Better Applications

Crop Cultivation Planning

Irrigation Scheduling

Agro Input & Prophylactic Control

Web 2.0 for Stakeholders

Conclusions
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
2
A Perspective on Knowledge Apps.

India has made remarkable progress in technology,
industrial development and economic growth

But the benefits of such development have not reached
the agricultural community - 60% of India’s population.

Lack of easy access to knowledge and information – a
key inhibitor for robust agricultural development

Availability of information is not a constraint, several
institutions contribute to the knowledge pool - Ineffective
dissemination of information is the main impediment.

Applications available currently are limited in content and
functionality and can only serve a localised community.
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
3
Challenges in Knowledge Sharing
What are the challenges in developing knowledge sharing
applications for a larger community?

Without a large user base, difficult to justify the high cost

A large user base can be expected only if regional variations and
localization needs are addressed, thereby increasing complexity

To provide rich information and content, data has to be extracted
from multiple sources, which demands close collaboration

Due to limited access to computers, applications can be widely
used only if they can support multiple devices - cell phones, TV etc
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
4
How Can Web 2.0 be Useful?

To improve the quality of information by linking
information from multiple data sources
Content aggregation & syndication (RSS/ATOM feeds)
with mashups allows better information and
knowledge management

To reduce cost of content creation and deployment
Collaborative content authoring using WIKI and feeds
for publishing data

For providing better access through multiple devices
Information access through multiple devices using
feeds and mashups
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
5
How Can Web 2.0 be Useful?

To provide richer content using collective intelligence of
user communities and experts
• WIKI for collaborative authoring
• Through tagging more meaning to data can be
attached collaboratively

Tag
For effective information exchange and knowledge
management between geographically dispersed
stakeholders through a collaborative web platform.
• WIKI & tagging for collaborative authoring &
information exchange.
• Feeds & mashups for knowledge management.
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
Tag
6
Crop Cultivation Planning
Village/Block - Mallur
Week 36 - 2006
Crop
Trading firms/
Auction Centres
Market Demand
Data
Acreage
Tomatoes
60
Onions
112
Potatoes
96
Web Application
To analyse demand
& supply position
Farmers
Cultivation Data
from Village/Block
• Demand Supply Gap
• Suggested Crop
Cultivation Plan
Application
Server
Demand vs Supply - Week 36
Crop
Rank
Gap (Mt)
• Crop Cultivation Data
• Demand Supply Gap
Insurance, Financial
Agri Input & Food
Processing Cos.
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
Onions
1
450
Tomatoes
2
300
Potatoes
3
-200
7
Irrigation Scheduling
Meteorological
Department
Irrigation
Department
Meteorological
Data
Web Application
Irrigation
Schedules
For Irrigation
Scheduling
Application
Server
Soil Maps
Farmers
National Bureau
of Soil Survey
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
8
Agro Input & Prophylactic Control
Experts
Advice on:
• Fertiliser & pesticide use
• Prophylactic control
Web Application
Computerised
models for fertiliser
and pesticide use
Farmers
• Soil Test Data
• Pest Description
Guidance on
Crop, Agro Inputs
& Pesticide use
Application
Server
Experience
Sharing &
Feedback
Farming
Community
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
9
Web 2.0 for Stakeholders
Monitor tags to publish
more relevant feeds
Provide a mechanism to
data-mine tag content and
provide visualization in the
form of tag-clouds
Feeds
Manage feeds and provide
easier mechanisms to
publish and consume feed
content
Subscribe to content
feeds
Tagging
Publish feeds on crop
demand, prices, agro
inputs and meteorology
Tag content for
receiving and
searching information
Mashups
Tag
Systems Developers
Use mash up-builder tools
Have access to value
to create mashups for
added information
data mining and other
and content published
research and business
as feeds
needs
Provide support for mashingup of content; using mashupbuilders to generate richer
information and knowledge
Wiki
User Community
Research Institutions,
Govt. Agencies &
Business Users
Author and view
content
Maintain the WIKI, and its
integration with other Web
2.0 technologies
Amit Dasgupta
Author view and regulate
content
September 2007
10
Conclusion

Integration of data from multiple sources will be
required to provide meaningful information and content.

Involvement of stake holders is crucial for sharing and
dissemination of information for knowledge sharing
applications for the agricultural community.

Using the Web2.0 framework would offer significant
advantages:

Richer information and content

Geographically dispersed organisations can jointly work together

Collaborative framework for community participation
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
11
Conclusion…

The message is clear. Academic and research
institutions, government agencies, NGOs, commercial
organisations and users must collaborate.

The time is opportune for key stakeholders to convene
a Forum to work together, to make knowledge more
accessible to rural communities.

The impact of such initiatives on the rural economy and
benefits to the farming community worldwide - would be
truly astounding!
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
12
Questions?
[email protected]
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
13
Thank
You!
[email protected]
Amit Dasgupta
September 2007
14