With a direct benefit to more than 300 people from the communes of Cobquecura, Portezuelo, Ránquil and Trehuaco by contributing to the digitalization of family farming and rural tourism activities, the Rural Digital Connectivity Pilot was implemented, a project for areas with developing economic activity and needs for improvement in digital connectivity.
The initiative was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture through the Institute for Agricultural Development (Indap) and the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA); the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) and the Undersecretariat of Tourism (Subturismo) and the FAO, through the South-South Cooperation project: Digital transformation and innovation in agriculture.
For the FAO representative in Chile, Eve Crowley, this progress is significant because it allowed connecting communities with a digital gap. “The Internet is an irreplaceable connectivity tool for the realization of human rights and for the fight against inequality; and this is precisely what we are seeking to advance in Ñuble, allowing people to be connected to information, to the possibilities that technology offers for marketing, training, which, of course, favors the growth and progress of these communities, which is the basis of our institutional purpose in contributing to livelihoods in the countryside through digitalization.”
The initiative included training in digital literacy, which would allow them to acquire skills ranging from the use of computers and mobile devices to digital marketing tools and the processing of basic services remotely.
“With this initiative we are contributing to the digitalization of family farming and rural tourism activities, particularly for Indap beneficiaries, who in this case live in underdeveloped areas of tourist interest in the region, in localities where there is a developing economic activity and with needs for improvement in digital connectivity,” said the national director of Indap, Santiago Rojas.
In Chile, only 4% of rural households have a fixed internet connection, while in urban households the figure is 54%. The Ñuble region is the most rural and has the lowest fixed internet penetration in the country, which is why the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Chile promoted this Rural Digital Connectivity Pilot that allowed these communities to access satellite internet antennas, computer equipment and training to acquire digital skills.
Most beneficiaries are women
The project also highlighted the predominant role of women in the use of new technologies, with a representation of over 60% of the total beneficiaries of the project, and demonstrating better skills in using technology to access information, services and also to market their ventures.
Angela Baeza, from the commune of Ranquil, Batuco sector, highlighted: “We were benefited by this project, and it was very good for our town, since the connectivity is very poor. We are wine bottlers, we have wine in a very old winery, and through this connectivity, we can make our winery known, so that more people can reach us. And the digitalization course was important, since we were able to learn to upload photos of our products, form associations and be able to present our products to various entities. So many thanks to those who made this a reality.”
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