Review of ICT enabled knowledge sharing approaches for enhancing smallholder farmers empowerment in Bihar

Abstract

Smallholder farmers often face constraints in accessing up-to-date agricultural knowledge, extension services, market information, and decision-support tools. The emergence of ICT-based tools (mobile phones, apps, WhatsApp groups, video advisories) offers potential for bridging these gaps. This review paper synthesizes global and Indian empirical evidence on digital extension / ICT knowledge sharing, examines patterns of internet penetration in rural India and specifically in Bihar, and discusses enablers, barriers, and recommendations. We also present an illustrative example of data (simulated) to show how ICT access, extension training, and digital group participation could correlate with knowledge-adoption and empowerment among smallholders. Key findings indicate that personalized digital extension services are significantly associated with productivity gains, adoption of improved practices, income enhancement [10]; “Using Personalized Digital Extension Services…” study), and that rural internet usage has been rising rapidly though Bihar’s internet penetration still lags behind more advanced states. Enablers include extension institution involvement, content localization, affordable connectivity; barriers include device ownership inequality (especially women), literacy and digital literacy, trust, and relevance of content. For Bihar, policy recommendations include enhancing KVK-ICT collaborations, digital literacy Programmes, gender-sensitive design, and rigorous impact evaluation.