Madlen Krone* and Peter Dannenberg Analysing the effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the integration of East African farmers in a value chain context https://doi.org/10.1515/zfw-2017-0029 Received: July 18, 2017; accepted: December 15, 2017 Abstract: Insufficient access to markets, limited financial transactions, and a lack of information and knowledge often restrict opportunities for small-scale farmers to link up with commercial value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa. Advances in information and communication technol- ogies (ICTs), especially mobile phones and the internet, have expanded the possibility to communicate across geographical distances and to integrate into commercial value chains. By using a novel combination of concep- tual considerations on ICTs, value chains, and relational proximity, this paper assesses: 1. How the use of ICTs af- fects the integration of small-scale farmers into the value chains (by analysing the information and knowledge flow, the financial and market transactions) and 2. to what ex- tent the use of ICTs is on the other side influenced by the value chain context (i.e. the structure and coordination of the chain and the relational proximity between farm- er and buyer). Our findings showed that even simple ICTs (phones) can lead to improvements for farmers to inte- grate into the chain as they facilitate simple information and complex knowledge flow, financial transactions, and market access, even though a greater structural transfor- mation was absent. However, our results showed that the extent of the effects depends on the context in the value chains, in particular their structure, coordination, and the relational proximity between the actors. In this way, this paper contributes to the conceptual discussions on infor- mation and communication for development (ICT4D) and the dynamics in value chains. Keywords: Africa; ICT4D; mobile phones; relational prox- imity; value chains. 1 Introduction The integration of small- scale businesses into global val- ue chains and the proliferation of information and com- munication technologies (ICTs) is seen as major factors for the economic development in the Global South (e.g. Aker/Mbiti 2010; Barrett 2008). In East Africa, fresh fruit and vegetable (ffv) production for export is growing and many small-scale farmers are successfully integrated into global value chains (e.g. Dolan/Humphrey 2004; Ouma 2010). Generally, it is assumed that a better integration of small- scale farmers into commercial chains can lead to growth and development through increased income op- portunities (e.g. Dolan/Humphrey 2004; Evers et al. 2014; Weinberger/Lumpkin 2007; World Bank 2007). While it is so far barely understood how such an integration can be fostered, studies on information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) suggest that ICTs can significantly support such an integration (e.g. Mukhebi et al. 2007). Even so there is a controversial debate about if and to what extent ICTs are contributing to socioeconomic devel- opment and value chain integration (e.g. Donner/Escobari 2010; Etzo/Collender 2010; Foster/Graham 2014; Murphy/ Carmody 2015), detailed case studies that explain why dif- ferent opinions on the effects of ICTs exist are rare thus far (exceptins are e.g. Foster/Graham 2017; Kumar 2014; Murphy/Carmody 2015). Furthermore, it is barely under- stood how different value chain contexts might influence these effects of ICTs on small-scale farmers and their value chain integration. Such knowledge is however crucial as it could explain the controversial opinions on the effects on ICT integration and inform practitioners in which value chain context ICT4D strategies might work or not. To fill this research gap, this paper combines ICT4D and Global Value Chain approaches by looking at the ex- ample of small-scale farmers in Kenya and Tanzania. On the one hand, it examines in detail in how far the use of ICTs affects the integration of small-scale farmers into value chains by looking in particular on the effects *Corresponding author: Madlen Krone, Institute of Geography, University of Cologne, Albertus Magnus Platz, 50923 Cologne, Ger- many, e-mail: m.krone@uni-koeln.de Peter Dannenberg: Institute of Geography, University of Cologne, Albertus Magnus Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany Z. Wirtsch. 2018; aop Brought to you by | Universitaetsbibliothek Frankfurt/Main Authenticated Download Date | 1/27/18 10:03 AM