Specializing in community-based, outcome-oriented media, communication, and learning, Ian has 30 years of experience in program leadership, development and delivery — including 20 years in developing country contexts. He holds a MA in New Media in Society from the University of Leicester and a BA from McGill University. Formerly a special consultant with UNESCO and media education specialist at the Commonwealth of Learning, Ian has been the Director of Programs at Farm Radio since 2015.
Many systemic challenges hinder the localization of ICT to revolutionize agriculture in the global South. Inadequate infrastructure limits access to digital resources and services. Data and tools that power AI often fail to accurately represent the specific contexts of local agrifood systems. Gender gaps in the ownership and usage of digital tools exacerbate these challenges. Language barriers also present significant obstacles, as local languages are frequently underrepresented in ICT tools. This session will explore how diverse stakeholders—including development agencies, research institutions, innovation accelerators, and non-profit organizations—are collaborating to tackle these issues and evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches.
New Delhi, India
Texcoco, Mexico
Washington, D.C., United States
