Rural Communication Services

Rural communication services for family farming
Publications

The Global Action Plan of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028 (UNDFF) recognizes the need to promote rural communication services (RCS) to advance sustainable food systems. RCS comprise demand-led communication processes, media applications and institutional arrangements to respond to the needs of family farmers and rural populations sustainably and inclusively. This report presents a comprehensive summary of the virtual UNDFF Global Forum on Inclusive Rural Communication Services for

Ugandan broadcaster wins award for radio documentaries on Nature-based Solutions
Spotlight

In 2023, Uganda news anchor Martin Amaiyko Kigongo took on a new challenge—creating 20-minute radio documentaries for Farm Radio International’s “On-Air for Gender-Inclusive Nature-based Solutions” project. Used to delivering news bites, Mr. Kigongo struggled with the unfamiliar format and the difficulties of trying something new. Mr. Kigongo’s persistence paid off in November when he won a national Population Media Award for the best radio program on population and development. Judges

FAO and YenKasa Africa participatory video training in agri-food systems and digital environments
Rural Communication Services

In November 2023, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) joined hands with several organizations to host a groundbreaking 5-day virtual training workshop on participatory video for Africa in November 2023. This event, attended by over 30 participants from different farmers’ organizations, academia, and advocacy groups, marked a significant step toward harnessing the potential of PV as a tool for sustainable development. Most of the participants came from countries with

Digitalizing agriculture in rural Senegal
Rural Communication Services

Digital tools can help offset uncertainties in weather patterns caused by climate change. In Nioro, Senegal, Mamadou Drame, a father of four children, now looks down at a screen instead of up at the skies to understand the weather and know what to plant. Historical rain cycles have become increasingly unreliable because of climate change, upsetting patterns of planting and harvesting. Thankfully, digital innovations have stepped in, assisting him to

Talking Books provide an innovative solution to reach rural communities in Uganda
Rural Communication Services

Dramatic dialogue, music and poetry are not the usual ways that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) raises awareness of and sensitizes rural communities on women’s land rights, but an innovative project in Uganda is doing just that through so-called Talking Books. Talking books are audio devices that allow people with low or no literacy to receive training in a dynamic way. In partnership with Amplio, a US based

SAVE THE DATE! 30 June 2022 - Regional Forum on Rural Communication Services for Family Farming in Africa
Rural Communication Services

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Within the context of the UN Decade on Family Farming (UNDFF), FAO and the regional Communication for Development initiative YenKasa Africa have joined forces to promote inclusive Rural Communication Services (RCS) in Africa as part of family farming policies and programmes; and to strengthen participatory communication capacities among farmers’ organizations and rural institutions.   YenKasa Africa initiative and FAO invite you on 30 June 2022 to the virtual Regional Forum on

Using the Talking Book to amplify and widen the reach of extension education in underserved, rural communities
Rural Communication Services

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Learning positive agricultural techniques and health practices can reduce poverty, malnutrition, and diseases in developing countries. For millions of rural people, low literacy and remoteness are barriers to information access. Extension services are limited because of poorly maintained roads. When materials are available, people can’t read. Local dialects are another barrier. Literacy Bridge Ghana uses a low-cost, battery-operated audio computer, called the Talking Book, to bring life-changing knowledge to marginalized

MP3 recordings bring farm tips in languages farmers in rural areas understand
Rural Communication Services

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Rural farmers in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe are generally cut off from vital government agriculture services by virtue of distance. The solution is: cheaply-recorded MP3 podcasts that are bringing awareness of weather, crop prices, or pest control. The problem is that Matabeleland South is one of Zimbabwe´s driest and underdeveloped region. The soil is rocky, agriculture colleges are rare, agriculture technicians shun the vast district, sporadic flooding can ruin crops,