How social networks can boost smallholder agriculture

The idea that transparent information and open communication make for better business has upended industries of all sorts, from hotels to restaurants and entertainment. Can those same principles be applied to one of the world’s oldest and most important livelihoods?

Just as information disseminated through social networks has made it easier to decide which flat to rent or movie to watch, rural agriculture stands to gain from a culture of crowdsourcing.

If a core pillar of social networks is the sharing of best practices and practical experience to better inform a community’s decision-making, rural agriculture and smallholder farming certainly have no shortage of information to contribute.

The life of a farmer relies on an array of inputs and variables, from harvesting techniques to pest control and buyers willing to pay premium prices for crops. Having reliable, crowdsourced information on those, and a number of other factors, could dramatically change the way farmers go about their business.

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