ECLAC holds a workshop to exchange experiences on the implementation of digital technologies in agricultural extension in Risaralda and Huila in Colombia

On Thursday, March 9, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Secretary of Agriculture and Mining of the Government of Huila in Colombia, held a virtual workshop on the management of digital agricultural extension groups and networks in Risaralda , with the aim of demonstrating its usefulness to promote agricultural extension actions and advance its adoption in the department of Huila.

Olga Lucía Duarte, a specialized professional from the Secretary of Agricultural Development of the Government of Risaralda, Dilberto Trujillo, Secretary of Agriculture of Huila, Luis Álvaro Figueroa, specialized professional in support of the Departmental Plan for Agricultural Extension of Huila, Carlos Andrés Sánchez, extension leader of the plantain production line in Risaralda, Jair Ojeda and Jaime Cortés, ECLAC consultants in charge of creating digital agricultural extension groups, Octavio Sotomayor and Marco Dini, ECLAC economic affairs officers and coordinators of projects focused on the implementation of territorial digitization strategies for productive development.

In addition, the workshop was attended by technicians and extension agents and Provider Entities of the Agricultural Extension Service (EPSEA) that support the prioritized production chains, as well as representatives that act as liaisons in the municipal capitals of the department of Huila.

In the welcoming remarks, Marco Dini provided background on the implementation of the digital hub and the territorial digitalization strategy, both in Huila and Risaralda, highlighting the importance of transmitting the experiences and methodologies adopted in Risaralda to take advantage of them and complement the traditional extension work with digital technologies in the department of Huila.

In this regard, he commented that in both territories digital platforms are being built that involve actors and institutions from various sectors of productive development and that some of the main objectives of these hubs are to give visibility to these actors and their initiatives, enhance their coordination and facilitate communication to the beneficiaries of the activities carried out.

In this line, Dini assured that work with digital technologies is not generated spontaneously and that it requires the will of the actors in the territory and a permanent coordination effort. In the case of the department of Huila, as it is a larger territory, scaling up is essential to be able to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, which is why a joint action of all the actors involved is required, which could benefit from the Territorial digitization experience adopted in Risaralda.

On this subject, Olga Lucía Duarte referred to the successful experience of Risaralda, in which joint work has been carried out to define the profile of extension agents in charge of WhatsApp groups with local producers. In this regard, he explained that the challenge of implementing digital technologies does not always lead to quick results and that it is essential to have teams where there is knowledge and an approach to rural producers, especially in the development of an active dialogue with them and in the adaptation of digital tools that allow to complement the face-to-face work of agricultural extension.

Regarding the creation and management of WhatsApp groups in prioritized banana and cocoa chains, the Risaralda representative explained that this experience began to be carried out during the pandemic and that its development allowed us to understand that local producers are also digital consumers, each one of them at different scales, which is why there has been evidence of active communication and greater participation with the extension team, as well as improvements in the understanding of the digital channels that benefit their work.

Currently, the challenge in the digital agricultural extension networks project in Risaralda is the consolidation of this work methodology and the expansion of the networks in other productive chains (panel sugarcane and coffee). In addition, for the Secretariat of Agricultural Development of this Department, it is important to make visible and transmit to producers and their associations the digital tools they have, supporting this work in coordination with ECLAC and the National Planning Department of Colombia (DNP). so that the digital hub that has been created through the joint effort is consolidated, so that the producer has a space to show their products to other commercial allies.

Octavio Sotomayor and Jaime Cortés from ECLAC presented the methodology for the creation and management of groups of peasant technicians and producers that use digital technologies, explaining that these networks combine different types of infrastructures and platforms, each of which has a unique character, which depends on its institutional and cultural context.

The general administration of these groups is directed from the secretariats of agriculture and trade union organizations, with the participation of extension technicians and the support of specialized institutions. This organization allows for strategic control, not only of the information of the agricultural extension, but also of the roles (extension agents, community managers and content creator) and their responsibilities.

In Risaralda, work has been done with the support of both the Government authorities and the Regional Commission for Competitiveness and Innovation (CRCI), in expanding the ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation to the final beneficiaries. For these purposes, in addition to the WhatsApp groups, a website where all project information is hosted.

Meanwhile, the creation of a technical editorial committee has allowed various actors to discuss how to manage relationships and information with the groups, planning activities through a schedule, following up on prioritized topics and content. The definition of a decalogue for the correct use of this platform also allows information to be delivered from secure sources and the level of content associated with the production line is maintained, according to what was stated by the ECLAC consultant, Jair Ojeda.

In the case of Huila, the Secretary of Agriculture, Dilberto Trujillo, explained that it is important that the use and adoption of these networks have the support of communications teams to transmit knowledge for the benefit of agricultural extension and that technologies are articulated digital processes in coordination with other institutions such as Agrosavia, the CRCI, and academia in general, to define the most beneficial way of working for local producers, so that it is a process that has a common thread.

In relation to the importance of guaranteeing an adequate adaptation of the technical contents in the platform that is being used (WhatsApp), the ECLAC consultant, Jair Ojeda, pointed in the first place to Identify reliable sources (institutions linked to the development and investigation of the subject official media and specialized sites on the matter) and pertinent for an adequate process of interaction and learning. This is planned through the editorial committee, researching the most appropriate format and the most optimal content, in order to program its dissemination, and thus generate a flow of information that can be used by farmers and ranchers who participate in the networks.

Meanwhile, Carlos Andrés Sánchez, extension leader of the plantain production line in Risaralda, assured that, at the moment of identifying the producers, there is knowledge and a link behind it, so this allows us to define more clearly when a Producer is able to contribute and disseminate information through these groups. In this regard, he highlighted that the experience of some producers who have had successful results with these digital technologies has allowed others to understand the importance of them to give greater visibility to their needs and increase dialogue with the institutions that promote the digital hub.

This instance of work was carried out with the purpose of strengthening agricultural extensionism in Risaralda and Huila through the territorial digitalization that has been developed, and taking into account that the experience in the elaboration of digital Hubs is ongoing, and therefore the conceptual perspective is expanding and diversifying. ECLAC’s work, in coordination with the DNP and the support and financing of the European Union, is carried out within the framework of the productive and territorial development project, part of the Facility for Development in Transition.