What use is information technology (IT) to pastoralists? Potentially a lot of use, I think, but I see no mention of it. Some of you good people who read my blog are IT experts, some of you are experts in tropical agriculture, I’m neither!
You might choose to follow my ‘pastoral’ and ‘technology’ tags for more on these topics. Better, you might choose to read what the Future Agricultures Consortium is doing. ‘The Future Agricultures Consortium is an Africa-based alliance of research organisations seeking to provide timely, high-quality and independent information and advice to improve agricultural policy and practice in Africa.’ I’m glad to have found that website. I’m glad also to follow blogs by several African and Native American thinkers.
I haven’t yet found any pastoralists online, so far as I know. Why is that? Technological limitations? But farmers who live in houses, even far from towns, are already using mobile phones and tablets to share information. If those farmers can do that, I think that farmers who move around might find IT useful too.
[Edit] Perhaps the lack of pastoralist bloggers is to do with a lack of literacy. The Africa Educational Trust says that nomads and pastoralists often lack basic education and healthcare.
