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

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cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country instituteen
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and advanced research instituteen
cg.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Leedsen
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Livestock Research Instituteen
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Centeren
cg.contributor.affiliationMachinga Agricultural Development Division, Malawien
cg.contributor.affiliationTotal LandCareen
cg.contributor.affiliationTanzania Forest Conservation Groupen
cg.contributor.affiliationWageningen University & Researchen
cg.contributor.crpMaize
cg.contributor.crpClimate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
cg.contributor.donorUnited States Agency for International Developmenten
cg.contributor.donorDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeiten
cg.contributor.donorUK Research and Innovationen
cg.contributor.donorCGIAR Trust Funden
cg.coverage.countryMalawi
cg.coverage.countryTanzania
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2MW
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2TZ
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africa
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.creator.identifierChristian Thierfelder: 0000-0002-6306-7670en
cg.creator.identifierJohn Walker Recha: 0000-0002-1146-7197en
cg.howPublishedFormally Publisheden
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103012en
cg.isijournalISI Journalen
cg.issn1873-1392en
cg.journalJournal of Rural Studiesen
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen
cg.subject.ilriAGRICULTUREen
cg.subject.ilriINNOVATION SYSTEMSen
cg.volume100en
dc.contributor.authorHermans, T.D.G.en
dc.contributor.authorSmith, H.E.en
dc.contributor.authorWhitfield, S.en
dc.contributor.authorSallu, S.M.en
dc.contributor.authorRecha, John W.M.en
dc.contributor.authorDougill, Andrew J.en
dc.contributor.authorThierfelder, Christian L.en
dc.contributor.authorGama, M.en
dc.contributor.authorBunderson, W.T.en
dc.contributor.authorMuseka, R.en
dc.contributor.authorDoggart, N.en
dc.contributor.authorMeshack, C.en
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-18T13:14:24Zen
dc.date.available2023-04-18T13:14:24Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/130038
dc.titleRole of the interaction space in shaping innovation for sustainable agriculture: Empirical insights from African case studiesen
dcterms.abstractThe 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.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.audienceScientistsen
dcterms.bibliographicCitationHermans, T.D.G, Smith, H.E., Whitfield, S., Sallu, S.M., Recha, J., Dougill, A.J., Thierfelder, C., Gama, M., Bunderson, W.T., Museka, R., Doggart, N. and Meshack, C. 2023. Role of the interaction space in shaping innovation for sustainable agriculture: Empirical insights from African case studies. Journal of Rural Studies 100:103012.en
dcterms.issued2023-05en
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0
dcterms.publisherElsevieren
dcterms.subjectagricultureen
dcterms.subjectinnovation systemsen
dcterms.subjectextensionen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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