Mobile phones – and other types of communication technology – can be a powerful way to improve the welfare of the rural poor, writes Maximo Torero of the International Food Policy Research Institute. Three-quarters of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas, Torero says in a World Economic Forum blog. Mobile phones “open up access to information and training opportunities in areas from health and education to agriculture.
“For example, through increased access to mobile phones, farmers can better plan how much to plant each season and how much and what type of investments could be profitable based on demand and supply. They can also gather information from extended networks and cooperatives regarding market conditions in higher-end markets and quality standards in those markets,” says Torero. They also are an avenue for traditional “extension” activity – bringing expert advance to the farmer – on a more frequent basis. Torero suggests methods to cover the cost of reaching rural areas so “we can provide the rural poor with the tools they need to escape poverty.”