The Department of Geospatial Sciences and Technology (DGST), School of Earth Sciences Real Estate Business and Informatics(SERBI) at Ardhi University is currently hosting a significant two-day stakeholder workshop from 4th – 5th September 2024 at the VETA Campus in Morogoro.
The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from Tanzania's agricultural sector to collaborate on the development of a Geospatial Web Information System designed to enhance the management and monitoring of agri-products across the country.
This research is funded by Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) Project which aims at promoting applied research and Innovation capacity at Ardhi University.
As the workshop progresses, participants are deeply engaged in discussions on the project's objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.
The focus remains on creating a shared understanding among all stakeholders regarding the processes of locating, acquiring, assessing, monitoring, visualizing, analyzing, and disseminating agri-product information.
This collaborative effort is essential for ensuring that the system being developed will support evidence-based decision-making for all actors involved, including producers, traders, consumers, investors, and government agencies.
Key sessions have highlighted the importance of a transdisciplinary approach, with experts from various groups including farmers, distributors, aggregators, policy-makers, operators, and agri-ICT, contributing their knowledge to the co-design of the Geospatial Web Information System.
The workshop also includes interactive segments, allowing participants to provide feedback and suggest improvements, which will be incorporated into the ongoing development of the Agri-product Geospatial Web Information System.
The final day of the workshop is expected to culminate in a comprehensive plan for the next steps in the project's implementation.
The outcomes of this workshop will play a crucial role in shaping the future of agri-products management in Tanzania, leveraging geospatial technologies to boost efficiency and sustainability in the sector.