From SOLDIER
BURUKA in Suva
A workshop is currently underway in Fiji to discuss
how Pacific Island countries can improve their information and knowledge
management to meet agricultural challenges.
Papua New Guinea participants from Department of
Agriculture and Livestock and National Agriculture Research Institute are attending
the four-day workshop.
The objectives of the workshop are to consider new
dimensions in information and knowledge management for contributing to rapid
agricultural innovation to meet the complex needs of agriculture in the
Pacific, to promote greater involvement and participation of organisations and
institutions with ‘Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for
Development’ (CIARD), to promote use and application of Web 2.0 and social
media in providing information to users in agricultural innovation and market
chains, especially through participatory and ‘open’ information and
communication management models.
Information and knowledge management is generation,
processing, dissemination and effective use of information and knowledge for
innovation to meet current and emerging challenges in agricultural development,
is a challenge in itself for the Pacific.
The small farm sizes, scattered nature of farms,
infrastructural limitations, the need to cope with increased global
competitiveness in agricultural commodities as also adapting to climate change
and loss of agricultural biodiversity add further complexity to managing information
and knowledge.
With limited resources for research and innovation
and for information management to meet these complex needs, Pacific countries
need to effectively use all useful and relevant information and related
resources available locally and globally for agricultural innovation.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other
partners have organised the workshop which was officially opened yesterday by
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Primary Industries, Col Mason Smith.
Smith mentioned the importance of developing the
agriculture industries using relevant and accurate information and knowledge
management and urged the participants to come up with solutions on improving
the system.
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