April 2012 — Information can lead to synergies and collaboration between farmers that result in strengthened farmer cooperatives, associations and self-help groups. But information alone may be insufficient. Farmers also need linkages to other players in the value chain, including savings and credit providers, input dealers, aggregators and individuals involved in markets, storage and transportation. Strengthening farmers’ connections to other players in the value chain can, therefore, help increase the impact of information-sharing practices and boost their earnings and productivity.

This toolkit is designed to help projects and organizations use low-cost video to augment the traditional agricultural development activities and extension services they are providing. Given the growing accessibility and increasing availability of low-cost digital video cameras and editing software — and the increasing use of video media in donor-funded agricultural development projects — this toolkit aims to enable practitioners to develop a more systematic approach to using low-cost video as one of the mediums through which they share information with farmers.