Articles
Access, capacities, and uses of digital technologies by market gardeners in Benin
Article number
1422_24
Pages
191 – 198
Language
English
Abstract
The development of digital tools and services for market gardening and agriculture in general is regularly presented as a “revolution” in terms of development of good agricultural practices, management capabilities, market access and knowledge exchange.
However, the reality of access and use is poorly described and quantified.
This article presents the results of a study carried out in Benin among 1,500 market gardeners on their appropriation of digital tools.
Using van Dijk’s framework for measuring digital divides, we measured the motivation, access, capacities and uses of digital tools, in particular cell phones, by these stakeholders.
Telephones, the main tool, have become widespread and widely used in the market gardening sector: 80% of market gardeners owned one (20% have a smartphone). These tools were used in a simple way, via non-agriculture-specific applications: calls, digital financial services (mobile money), social networks and instant messaging, as well as videos.
The use of tools dedicated to agriculture was marginal (<1%). These tools seemed to meet the needs of market gardeners, enabling them to, by priority order, communicate with their network, carry out financial transactions, access the market and exchange knowledge.
All the classic digital divides (age, rurality, gender, literacy) and access to electricity, often solar power, were shown to be particularly critical.
Policies for the development of better digital tools should target simple applications based on widely-spread, simple and useful capacities.
However, the reality of access and use is poorly described and quantified.
This article presents the results of a study carried out in Benin among 1,500 market gardeners on their appropriation of digital tools.
Using van Dijk’s framework for measuring digital divides, we measured the motivation, access, capacities and uses of digital tools, in particular cell phones, by these stakeholders.
Telephones, the main tool, have become widespread and widely used in the market gardening sector: 80% of market gardeners owned one (20% have a smartphone). These tools were used in a simple way, via non-agriculture-specific applications: calls, digital financial services (mobile money), social networks and instant messaging, as well as videos.
The use of tools dedicated to agriculture was marginal (<1%). These tools seemed to meet the needs of market gardeners, enabling them to, by priority order, communicate with their network, carry out financial transactions, access the market and exchange knowledge.
All the classic digital divides (age, rurality, gender, literacy) and access to electricity, often solar power, were shown to be particularly critical.
Policies for the development of better digital tools should target simple applications based on widely-spread, simple and useful capacities.
Publication
Authors
N. Paget, F. Okry, C. Richebourg
Keywords
digital applications, mobile phones, quantitative survey, market gardening, Benin
Online Articles (63)