FAO debates in Uruguay about digital transformation in the rural world
"Learning" about the digital transformation of the rural world is the main objective of the Innovation Week in America 2019, an event that began Monday in Montevideo and is organized by FAO, the International Telecommunications Union and the Uruguayan state-owned company Antel.
This was explained by Luiz Carlos Beduschi, FAO Policy, Family Farming and Sustainable Rural Development Officer, who highlighted to journalists that the event brings together "specialists, technology users, governments, civil society and companies in a very diverse group to learn together".
According to the expert, the meeting will serve to see the benefits that technology can bring to agriculture and productivity, as well as to the "non-agricultural sectors of the rural world."
Among these, the expert highlighted, for example, drones for forest monitoring, artificial intelligence and the use of applications that allow rural producers easy access to information.
"The entire population has to have access to technology, to services," Beduschi said, adding that the rural world "goes a little behind the urban one," which can be corrected by accelerating "efforts with more investment and public support. and private. "
In addition, he stressed that another way to solve this problem is to think "in three dimensions": one in everything that has to do with production, another with food processing and a third with marketing and market access.
"That the producer knows how much his product in the market can be worth from a reliable and immediate source can make a difference when selling or buying," he concluded.
On the other hand, Germán Otálora, manager of the Microsoft Airband Program for Latin America, added that for his company "the issue of connectivity is fundamental" and that they intend to reach rural areas, since they are the ones with the "greatest need".
According to that, he pointed out that the idea of Microsoft is "to leverage all the solutions and all the digital services that can reach people once they have connectivity."
"It is not only the entertainment service, as we are used to, but also services that are related to governance, institutionality, health, education, financial and judicial services. All those types of services that are of such interest to communities rural, "he said.
Otálora also said that "it is not a single-company job", but must be coordinated between governments, the telecommunications industry and content development.
The Innovation Week in America 2019 is celebrated in the Antel Telecommunications Tower until Thursday, August 8.
. (tagsToTranslate) FAO (t) debate (t) Uruguay (t) digital transformation (t)
Source link