Currently, joint efforts among government agencies are developing pilot projects
and also provide training in the use of ICTs. The private sector is and will be one of
the main promoters of ICTs, especially among those levels of the food chain that
have the potential to benefi the most (distributors, retailers, brokers, etc.), which in
turn have a positive effect throughout other levels of the value chain.
The growth and penetration of mobile ICTs in rural areas (especially mobile phones),
and innovations in electronic media to support education and training (e-learning),
represent new opportunities to increase the development of human and social
capital, among other aspects. Mobile ICTs can contribute to the strengthening
of relations between stakeholders in the value chain; it is possible to promote the
“culture” of the use of ICTs through ‘e-learning’, as well as the development of
information skills of different stakeholders in chains.
The impact that ICTs have in improving competitiveness of food chains is very
promising. Issues such as traceability, process control, transparency in market
information, reducing transaction costs, and identifiation and tracking of consumer
needs, are only a few examples that illustrate its importance.