Empowering Rice Farmers through Mobile Technology

Ethical MarketsSRI/ESG News, Sustainability News

GIFT’s 30th Global Young Leaders Programme: “Empowering Rice Farmers through Mobile Technology”, Hong Kong & the Philippines, 14 – 15 January, 2013

In this ground-breaking programme, GIFT’s first in the Philippines, participants will work alongside the International Rice Research Institute in rural areas of the Philippines to map out new business models for leveraging a powerful web and online-based tool (the Nutrient Manager) to enable greater access to information, services, and products for local rice farmers and to responsibly monetize crucial market data for commercial partners.

The Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world and rice production is important to both the country’s food supply and economy.  Although it is the 8th largest rice producer in the world, the Philippines was also the world’s largest rice importer in 2010, making the need for improving crop yields not only one of financial importance but also one that has significant impact on national food security.

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the project partner, is a non-profit independent research and training institute, working to improve the health of rice farmers and consumers.  Its social and economic reserach also aids in government policy making to improve the equitable supply of rice in SE Asia and globally.  The Nutrient Manager, developed by IRRI, accesses a wealth of data which farmers can use towards improving crop yields and productivity.  Both the Nutrient Manager and IRRI’s extensive Rice Knowledge Base will provide an engaging and challenging project for participants to work with public and private sector partners to develop new business models that are feasible, practical, and sustainable.

Source: Ania Blazejewska
Source: Ania Blazejewska

To apply for the programme or learn more about how you or your company can get involved please contact our Head of Programmes, Karim Rushdy at krushdy@global-inst.com.

Over the past five years, the YLP has emerged as a powerful and unique executive education programme that applies business solutions to real-world challenges as a learning platform for emerging leaders.  As a testiment to its effectiveness and success, GIFT’s client base has expanded globally as more companies begin to recognise the value of our approach. 

Previous YLP clients include:

The GIFT methodology provides an independent, honest and safe context for participants to cultivate greater global awareness and skill sets.  Executive participants engage in debate, role play and discussion about the role of business, government, civil society and media, guided by CEO and founder Chandran Nair and the GIFT team. The goal is to take high potential talent from global companies beyond the conventional understanding of Asia, to see the world through the eyes of others, against a backdrop of emerging social investment opportunities. The YLP’s philosophy and methodology are highlighted in a two-part article through Qi Global’s blog.

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