Social media in relation to sharing farm information

Traditionally, agricultural information exchange has been dominated by industrial media such as newspapers, television, and magazines. In recent years, however, technology awareness and computer literacy are increasing across all demographics and various forms of social media are being used more and more by people looking for news, education, and other information related to agriculture. Social media can be defined as internet-based applications that allow the creation and exchange of usergenerated content. It is the blending of technology and social interaction that creates value in these types of media. Social media provide a quick and responsive network for people involved in agriculture to gather and exchange information. It allows immediate dissemination of important emerging issues and the sharing of positive information among producers and consumers of agricultural products. Social media is able to cross the hurdle of illiteracy that has left small and marginal farmers to the mercy of traders and middlemen. Social media encourages smarter farming through opportunities to learn from agricultural experts, progressive farmers and the community's thought leaders. Social media can be a critical component to addressing basic needs, but also to facilitating engagement and participation for longer term and sustained change. However, the implementation of programs that explicitly aim at reaching the most marginalized must be an essential component of equity-driven programs, and by extension more inclusive development efforts. It is also important to advocate with policy makers and development organizations that access to social media should be available to all youth, particularly those who belong to more vulnerable and marginalized groups. The implications are immense, from crop prices to sharing best practices and social media becoming a way of life for the farmers for sharing best practices with other farmers across the globe. More and more entrenchment of social media especially, with the rise of vernacular versions of some of the networks and finally farmers selling direct to consumers through forums like Community Supported Agriculture.