[Would be great to have some GNU/Linux visibility here. -FN, Co-founder, BytesForAll]

http://www.baramatiinitiatives.org/event_profile.htm

Sixth Annual Baramati Initiative on ICT and Development

Baramati, Maharashtra, India – March 9 - 11, 2006

Co-Organized by:

Vidya Pratishthan's Institute of Information Technology & YES BANK

The Potential of E-Agriculture

This is the sixth in a series of conferences organized by Vidya Pratishthan's Institute of Technology (VIIT) in Baramati, Maharashtra, India. This year, the conference will focus on the use of Information and Communication Technology in Agriculture (e-Agriculture), exploring avenues through which governments, NGO's, development agencies and corporates can work to successfully promote e-agriculture to benefit the rural economy.

Though over 65 percent of India's population resides in rural areas, with majority working in agriculture and allied areas, it contributes to a mere 23 percent of total GDP. Meanwhile, the services sector has raced ahead on the back of the phenomenal growth in the IT and ITES sectors,. The agents that funneled their growth - technology, information, and efficient processes - now need to be chanelised into the agriculture sector and assist India's remaining six fifty million to augment their earning power.

Rural areas are predominately under-developed with poor infrastructure, electricity and roads and Indian farmers - like many of their counterparts across the world - are sustaining themselves on archaic methods and processes. To achieve a sustainable level of food production it is necessary that they have seamless access to:

* Information on weather, production and cultivation techniques, seeds and fertilizers, plant nutrients and water usage * Funds and liability coverage through agri-finance and agri-insurance * Assistance from universities on new techniques (such as biotechnology) used to increase production yield * Market infrastructure like warehouses and Cold-chain management

Thus, creative delivery of information and other resources to farmers becomes vital. E-agriculture aims to harness the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance the dissemination of vital information on agriculture to the rural population. Various agencies - including government, corporates and NGO's - have utilized ICT to implement innovate solutions and facilitate the access to knowledge.

The Baramati Initiative seeks to synergize these learnings through presentations and panel discussions involving not only experts and practitioners from NGOs, corporations and government agencies, but also the grassroots partners , the ultimate beneficiaries.

Panels include:

* Innovative Practices showcasing the benefits of ICT for the Agriculture Sector * Role of ICT in facilitating Agri-Finance and Agri-Insurance * Research on use of ICT in Agriculture * Government and E-Agriculture: Government’s Support for E-Agriculture * Corporate experiences – Trade facilitation through ICT * The Power of Collaboration: Success stories * The Future of E-Agriculture and Critical success factors

Further, the annual conference will continue to act as a platform for information exchange , exploring ways in which information and communication technology is being used as a tool to empower the poor. The event is a learning opportunity for participants allowing them to:

* Interact directly with grassroots partners i.e. people who are using this technology, and to learn from them the difference that ICT has made a difference in their lives * Meet and interact with individuals and organizations that are financing these efforts * Learn about new trends via exhibits and demonstration booths

The Baramati Concept

The basic concept behind this event is to highlight the enormous potential of digital technologies and digital economy to help poor communities.

Poverty-alleviation organizations, social entrepreneurs, government institutions, corporate enterprises and even uneducated, village entrepreneurs are continuously developing technological solutions to serve the often-overlooked customers at the bottom of the pyramid. These solutions are bringing the benefits of the digital age-increased access to markets, education, environmental information, and government services - to communities around the world. In so doing, they are helping to build the business, economic, and social cases for investing in systems and infrastructure needed to serve the poorest of the poor. Together, they are helping to empower hundreds and millions of the world's underprivileged to become agents of their own development.

The purpose of Baramati initiative is to showcase how ICT is being employed to provide sustainable solutions to the needs of poor communities. The conference takes place in Baramati, a village located in rural Maharashtra where an ecosystem using ICT to aid the rural economy has been successfully created.

This conference attracts over 150 participants each year with over 30-40 foreign participants. Over the last 5 years, the Baramati Initiative has become one of the key forums for people to exchange information on innovative efforts in the field of ICT and Development.