Full Internet access will open the door to greater productivity and quality of life in rural areas, note specialists during presentation in Argentina of a report on rural connectivity in Latin America

Buenos Aires, 21 April 2023 (IICA) - Full Internet access in rural areas will translate into greater productivity and a better quality of life for communities, stated specialists, officials and private sector representatives during a presentation in Argentina of a report on connectivity prepared by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The document “Rural Connectivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: State of Play, Challenges and Actions for Digitalization and Sustainable Development” was prepared by the organization specializing in rural development and well-being together with the World Bank, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, Bayer, Microsoft and Syngenta.

More than 900 people tuned into the live broadcast of the launch event, which was carried out in a packed auditorium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In attendance were Juan José Bahillo, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of that country; Jorge Neme, Secretary of Development Planning and Federal Competitiveness of the Ministry of the Economy; Gustavo Martínez Pandiani, Undersecretary for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Gustavo López, Vice President of the National Communications Entity (ENACOM).

Participating on behalf of the partners that carried out the study with IICA were Herbert Lewy from Microsoft; Horacio Oyhanarte from Bayer; Mariale Alvarez from Syngenta; Patricia Alborta from CAF; and Irene Wasilevsky from the World Bank.

Nacira Belén Muñoz, Vice President of INTA; Andrés Méndez of the Secretariat of Agriculture; and Juan Andrés Navarro, Business Manager at ARSAT, also took part in the event.

Alina Ruiz, a farmer and cook from the province of Chaco, in northern Argentina, shared her personal experience to highlight the importance of connectivity for rural dwellers.

The authors of the study, Sandra Ziegler and Joaquín Arias, shared details on the document. Agronomist and journalist Héctor Huergo served as the event’s moderator.

The document updates the data presented in the first edition published in late 2020 and provides an overview of the current state of rural connectivity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The authors noted that, as stated in the document, 72 million people in rural areas lack access to significant connectivity, which is understood to mean Internet access via adequate devices or with a connection quality that meets current requirements.

Although there has been a slight improvement in connectivity in rural areas during the time between both studies, the gap between urban and rural areas has widene.

The study warns of the need for harmonized policies between the public sector, private sector and international cooperation. In that regard, it is crucial to work together to achieve effective solutions. Important initiatives are currently underway in the hemisphere to improve connectivity in rural areas; however, the document stresses the need for larger-scale efforts.

The role of public policies

“When I started working in the countryside, people would say that production was not possible without roads or electricity in rural areas. Nowadays, we know that not only production, but rural life as well, would be unviable without the Internet”, said Secretary Bahillo, who added that the first question a family asks when coming to work on a farm is whether there is connectivity.

Bahillo warned that it is not commercially attractive to provide connectivity in rural areas with a very low population density. In that regard, the State has a fundamental role to play.

Martínez Pandiani praised IICA’s work in building bridges between the public and private sectors. “The joint work between the World Bank, CAF and IICA with major companies such as Bayer, Syngenta and Microsoft presents a way forward”.

“The value of this work lies in the fact that it not only presents the current situation, but also  proposals. The recommendations presented in the document are tools to find solutions”.

Jorge Neme remarked that connectivity is of the utmost importance for the development of Argentina and Latin America, and underscored the importance of IICA’s work.

He indicated that 40% of rural areas in the country have no connectivity and 82% of them are rural and indigenous family farming areas. He added that the development of agribusinesses, in addition to basic infrastructure, such as roads, irrigation systems and machinery, will require a solid digital infrastructure in order to be competitive.

A call to action

IICA’s partners, who made the study on rural connectivity possible, also shared their thoughts regarding the importance of the state of play presented and the value of the recommendations in the document.

“The work carried out is fantastic because of its profound level of detail. It presents a call to action, which is what we were looking for. I am confident that technology use will provide us with a real opportunity to overcome the crises we are facing”, said Herbert Lewy of Microsoft.

Horacio Oyhanarte of Bayer Argentina considered that “digital transformation enables both innovation and sustainability. And there can be no digital transformation without connectivity. That is why this study is crucial”.

According to Mariale Alvarez, Director of Public Affairs, Sustainability and Communications of Syngenta Southern Latin America, “the value of this assessment is that it shows us where connectivity gaps exist in the countries of our region, which could provide a starting point to mobilize actions among even more public and private stakeholders so that everyone has access to connectivity”.

Patricia Alborta, CAF Representative in Argentina, described the report as “revealing”. “A study like this one shows us gaps that we must work on at the country and regional levels. In the 21st century, digital aspects cannot be excluded”, she said.

Irene Wasilewsky of the World Bank considered that digitalization is a necessity and applauded the study. “We always say that we lack information to make decisions; now we have a lot of information and we must get to work”.

The Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, explained that a dynamic approach to the document is necessary, in order to understand the ways in which connectivity is evolving in rural areas of the Americas.

“When IICA prepares a report, it is not meant to lecture others, but to raise awareness of and draw attention to various issues, and to try to influence policymaking”, said Otero, who warned that “the knowledge-intensive agriculture that we promote requires connectivity”.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int