Abstract:
This article addresses the extent to which information and communication technologies
(ICTs) may be used to manage agricultural indigenous knowledge (IK) to alleviate extreme
poverty and halve hunger in the rural areas of Tanzania. It also discusses ways that ICTs
can be used to introduce exogenous knowledge into the local communities in order to
reduce hunger and poverty. The advent of ICTs provides a window of opportunity for
developing countries to harness and utilize IK to their advantage. Access to, and use of,
ICTs provides new and faster ways of delivering and accessing information and knowledge
that may improve productivity in a wide range of sectors, including agriculture.
Access to information and knowledge may give Tanzania the possibility to reduce poverty
and increase agricultural productivity. The rural population of Tanzania is not only deprived
from accessing global knowledge on agriculture, but it also lacks opportunities to
share its own IK. Research shows that the use of exogenous knowledge together with IK
systems may improve farming activities. Recommendations are given on how IK may be
effectively managed through ICTs in Tanzania.
