Designing for Informational Needs Among Small Producers in Panama: A Human-Centered Approach

Abstract

According to the UN, agriculture can lift more people out of poverty than any other sector. As of 2019, agriculture accounted for only 2.14% of the economy in Panama; however, the agricultural sector serves as one of the primary sources of income for communities living in poverty. Small farmers that own less than 10 hectares account for 82% of the total farmers in Panama and are responsible for the majority of the agricultural production in the country. While only 32% of farmers are below 45 years old, this younger generation is highly interested in adopting new technologies to maximize their production. In particular, the increase in smartphones and Internet-based digital tools results in larger opportunities for improvement in agriculture, such as more precise technologies, better data collection and analysis, and more effective information dissemination.

This study utilizes the human-centered design process to explore the informational needs of small-scale producers in Panama, the existing ways they get information, and the tools that can help them improve their decision-making and productivity. Interviews with 30 producers and agricultural experts demonstrated that farmers need reliable, easily accessible, and updated information. Many farmers agreed that previous experience with government sources has proved to be limited and hard to find. AgroInfo is a digital mobile platform that aims to help farmers easily find relevant and updated information while expanding the interaction and knowledge exchange among the agricultural community. This study addresses the difficulties that Panamanian small farmers encounter while searching for information and seeks to explore informational opportunities to increase their efficiency and productivity.