Three ways that technology can help unconnected farmers improve their training

Three ways that technology can help unconnected farmers improve their training
  • Because of the scope and size of digital transformation, remote training is becoming more popular.
  • By digitally training farmers' trainers, it is possible to level the playing field for unconnected farmers in terms of access to training tools.
  • To improve accessibility and create interesting learning environments, digital tools can be used to supplement traditional in-person training.
  • To deliver training successfully, localised uses of technology can be used.


Technology has advanced rapidly over the world. The COVID-19 epidemic has only hastened the change in digital transformation, with more businesses, governments, and civil society organisations utilising digital tools to improve the efficacy and scope of their training.

These developments have far-reaching ramifications for skill development and capacity building. But what about farmers and coffee growers in places like Benin, Nigeria, and Central America, who may not have smartphones or internet access? Is there any way to reach them with easily digestible knowledge and instruction on the newest cashew agronomic methods or smart agricultural techniques?

TechnoServe's programmes have shown how effective remote and digital training can be in combating poverty. For example, we've used a mobile learning management platform and WhatsApp to help shops in Nairobi learn record-keeping; we've helped entrepreneurs in Honduras receive mentorship via Skype; and farmers in Puerto Rico receive agronomy training via YouTube videos.

We recognise, however, that not everyone can benefit from online training right away. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, only 28% of the population utilises mobile internet, and rural populations around the world are less likely to have a smartphone or a stable internet connection than their urban counterparts.

So, how can we make sure that these farmers who aren't connected don't miss out on the benefits of evolving training tools? To answer that issue, we've put together a paper that highlights three techniques to utilise technology to improve the training of farmers who don't have access to the internet, all of which are backed up by research and TechnoServe's field experience.

Farmer trainers can be digitally trained.

While farmers may not have access to a smartphone, the training staff frequently do. Extension agents and other field teams have traditionally received training in person, and these trainers must attend another physical session if they need a refresher or to learn a new addition to the curriculum.

We can see improved consistency by creating a digital training course for trainers, with field teams renewing their expertise on the road. When the training programmes are finished, they may easily give them over to government extension workers, cooperatives, buying organisations, and others, ensuring long-term impact.

In Benin, this strategy allows for more consistent and timely information to reach farmers. The country's freshly rebuilt field training handbook for cashew production and nursery management, for example, combines the most up-to-date best agronomic methods. To assist farmers learn the new knowledge quickly, the CajùLab programme is now building a curriculum that will be provided via a smartphone-based learning platform.

Using audio and video to supplement training

Video is an effective tool for training farmers: studies have shown that it can improve learning and practise adoption, increase the number of farmers reached, and improve messaging consistency while making trainers' jobs easier. It also has spillover effects, as farmers like sharing what they've learnt from a video with others.

But what about farmers who are unable to view movies on the internet? In some circumstances, a low-tech strategy of supplementing in-person teaching with offsite video and audio can be extremely beneficial.

The Business Women Connect programme in Nigeria worked with women tomato producers in northern Nigeria who lacked phone connection. The program used projectors to screen training videos in local classrooms and community gathering centres, reinforcing the techniques learned through in-person training at demonstration plots, to make the training more engaging and accessible for the participants, who were nearly all balancing managing their farms with significant domestic responsibilities.

This gave the farmers more flexibility, which they appreciated. They could bring their children to the sessions because the videos were screened in their villages rather than at further away demonstration plots.

Participants were also inspired by seeing women who looked like them, spoke their native language, and were from their region depicted in the film, according to the program's organisers. Rahana Umaru, one of the participants, expressed admiration for the ladies in the films, saying, "Anytime they show us the videos, it gladdens our hearts, and we told ourselves, we'll do it like those in the videos."

Meet farmers in their natural habitat.

Where farmers do not have access to smartphones or mobile internet, basic communications technology such as a feature phone can nevertheless be a useful tool. SMS, voice messages, and IVR services can be used to reinforce behaviours, provide nudges, and provide answers to farmers' inquiries. The use of radio programming to enhance learning and behaviour change also has a strong empirical foundation.

However, combining these technologies has the most impact and allows for tailored, two-way communication. The MOCCA initiative, for example, uses a variety of strategies to encourage coffee growers in Central America and Peru to adopt climate-smart and regenerative farming practises.

The technical and communications teams for the programme collaborate to create a content strategy that reinforces essential ideas across numerous platforms available to farmers. Text messages, WhatsApp chat groups, radio spots, Facebook Live sessions, brief YouTube films, and, where possible, in-person training are all examples of this type of training.

Of course, it's not just about the methods you employ; it's also about how you employ them. When creating any training programme, it's critical to start with the user's needs and to test, review, adapt, and enhance it on a regular basis.

We can ensure that the millions of unconnected farmers around the world are not left behind by the opportunity afforded by digital transformation by combining good design practise with these tactics.