Geospatial Technology Program for sub-Saharan Africa

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded a grant to the Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGIAR), in partnership with CH2M HILL and ITC, to develop a geospatial technology program to aid farmers by providing timely and location-specific information that will allow them to make the best decisions possible on how to farm their land. The geospatial technology program initially focuses on sub-Saharan Africa and seeks to identify and develop partnerships, data, tools and services that deliver relevant, timely, and targeted information directly to farmers and those working on their behalf with the aim of boosting crop productivity and ultimately enhancing the economic well-being and quality of life of the poor.

This presentation will describe the program and its ‘bottom-up’ approach to geospatial technology development. The outcomes of several African workshops will be presented as well as progress on initial projects already being launched.