Role of the interaction space in shaping innovation for sustainable agriculture: Empirical insights from African case studies

dc.creatorHermans, T.D.G.
dc.creatorSmith, H.E.
dc.creatorWhitfield, S.
dc.creatorSallu, S.M.
dc.creatorRecha, J.
dc.creatorDougill, A.J.
dc.creatorThierfelder, C.
dc.creatorGama, M.
dc.creatorBunderson, W.T.
dc.creatorMuseka, R.M.
dc.creatorDoggart, N.
dc.creatorMeshack, C.
dc.date2023-04-18T20:30:11Z
dc.date2023-04-18T20:30:11Z
dc.date2023
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-17T20:10:32Z
dc.date.available2023-07-17T20:10:32Z
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10883/22578
dc.identifier10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103012
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorioslatinoamericanos.uchile.cl/handle/2250/7514321
dc.descriptionThe challenges of climate change, food insecurity and land degradation have all led to a push for ‘scaling’ innovation for sustainable agriculture. For this purpose, international agricultural development projects often use farm trials or farmer field schools as a way for farmers to engage with technically-constructed knowledge and empirical evidence. However, the role of such trials in the socio-political construction of knowledge is often overlooked. This study conceptualises agricultural development interventions as taking place within an interaction space between researchers and farmers. Unpacking the processes and dynamics of the interaction space from four case studies across Malawi and mainland Tanzania, we present findings which evaluate: 1) how agricultural innovation takes place in the context of funded agricultural development projects, and 2) how space for technical and social knowledge construction can be opened up or closed down in these contexts. Results show that farm trials provide a basis for interaction, but that knowledge exchange in these contexts also require knowledge brokers for successful implementation and scaling. Both knowledge brokers, and the trials themselves shape social dynamics, often simultaneously facilitating social learning for some, but contributing to social exclusions for others. A strong connection was identified between the design of the interaction space and social dynamics evident within it, indicative of the close interconnection between the processes of socio-political and technical construction of knowledge. Key factors open or close the interaction space, such as the continuity of knowledge brokers and the complexity of technologies. Improving the effectiveness of innovation for sustainable agriculture, requires opening up the interaction space to enable more effective and sustained co-creation of technologies, social learning and the collaborative construction of shared knowledge.
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relationClimate adaptation and mitigation
dc.relationDiversification in East and Southern Africa
dc.relationResilient Agrifood Systems
dc.relationUnited States Agency for International Development
dc.relationDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
dc.relationUK Research and Innovation
dc.relationCGIAR Trust Fund
dc.relationhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/130038
dc.rightsCIMMYT manages Intellectual Assets as International Public Goods. The user is free to download, print, store and share this work. In case you want to translate or create any other derivative work and share or distribute such translation/derivative work, please contact CIMMYT-Knowledge-Center@cgiar.org indicating the work you want to use and the kind of use you intend; CIMMYT will contact you with the suitable license for that purpose
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.source100
dc.source0743-0167
dc.sourceJournal of Rural Studies
dc.source103012
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
dc.subjectFarm Trials
dc.subjectAGRICULTURE
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL INNOVATION
dc.subjectFIELD EXPERIMENTATION
dc.subjectEXTENSION
dc.subjectSUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
dc.subjectSustainable Agrifood Systems
dc.titleRole of the interaction space in shaping innovation for sustainable agriculture: Empirical insights from African case studies
dc.typeArticle
dc.typePublished Version
dc.coverageAfrica
dc.coverageUnited Kingdom


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