Agricultural Innovation Platforms Research Articles

Agricultural innovation platforms for scaling innovations – insights from the Transforming Irrigation in Southern Africa project

ABSTRACT A major challenge in agricultural research for development is understanding how agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) scale innovations to maximize environmental and socioeconomic benefits. Multilevel perspective and anchoring frameworks were used to assess the effectiveness of AIPs in anchoring innovations to go to scale under the Transforming Irrigation in Southern Africa project. Resultant scaling approaches, and whether and how scaling impacts were sustained are assessed at the sociotechnical regime. AIP collective capabilities ensured anchoring strategies and scaling approaches utilized by AIPs led to the embedding of innovations within the agricultural sociotechnical system. This resulted in changes in policy, behaviour and practices.

Information Sharing among Actors in Dairy Innovation Platforms

Dairy farming is a cornerstone of global food security, serving as a primary source of nutrition for a burgeoning world population. Information sharing, a fundamental practice of exchanging knowledge and data, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the dairy sector's productivity and sustainability. This study delves into the intricacies of information exchange within the context of dairy innovation platforms (IPs) dynamic collaborative spaces where diverse stakeholders, including farmers, researchers, input suppliers and extension personnels etc., converge to address common challenges. Taking place both physically and virtually, dairy IPs facilitates collective problem-solving, with each member contributing their unique expertise to foster a win-win collaborative environment. This research article draws from a comprehensive investigation conducted in Haryana (India), focusing on two districts with substantial bovine populations i.e., Karnal and Hisar. These districts are home to multiple agricultural research institutes, universities and innovation platforms actively engaged in the dairy sector. Data were gathered randomly from 140 dairy actors, that includes researchers, extension personnels, input suppliers and dairy farmers, all with a minimum of five years of experience in their respective fields. Information sharing was evaluated through responses to specific dairy-related topics such as breeding, feeding, healthcare and management practices, collected during March 2017. Our findings reveal a dynamic landscape of information sharing among different actors within the dairy innovation platform. Researchers emerge as key contributors to topics like animal breeding (27.87%) and extreme weather control, while extension personnel excel in areas like pregnancy diagnosis and disbudding. Dairy Farmers, constituting the largest group, exhibit a keen interest in concentrate composition and green fodder types. Dairy farming serves as a critical pillar in meeting the nutritional needs of our ever-expanding global population and the information sharing is fundamental to enhancing its productivity and sustainability.

The welfare enhancing effects of agricultural innovation platforms and soil monitoring tools on farming household outcomes in southeastern Africa

ABSTRACTUtilizing survey information obtained from five irrigation schemes in southeastern Africa, we investigated the influence of agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) and monitoring tools on a range of farm and household outcome indicators. Doubly robust estimation was used to measure the effects of these interventions, with a variety of other methods used for robustness checks. Involvement in AIP activities and using monitoring tools was found to be statistically associated with increased on-farm income together with an increased capacity to fund child education. Participation in AIPs also had a significant positive influence on off-farm income and reduced food shortages. Moreover, spillover effects were accounted for in the estimations and statistically significant positive effects were found regarding on-farm income for non-participants. These findings suggest that interventions with strong agricultural innovation system approaches in irrigation schemes in Africa could provide significant societal benefits.

Regional Assessment at the Province Level of Agricultural Science and Technology Development in China

Science and technology innovation are crucial components underpinning agriculture. We constructed an evaluation framework including 4 pillars and 21 indicators, taking 31 provinces in China as examples to examine the level of agriculture science and technology development from a regional perspective. We found that there is an obvious gap between east and west nationwide, and that only about half of the provinces have reached the high and medium levels. It was worth noting that the innovation conditions in Shanghai and Beijing presented huge advantages, of vital importance to a first-class talent team, a complete innovation system, a stable and prosperous market, and active exchanges and cooperation. In addition, to maximize the transformation of agricultural science and technology achievements into real productivity, local government should also strengthen the construction of agricultural research and innovation platforms, technology transfer, and transformation of results. The findings advance understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the evaluation subjects’ agricultural science and technology development from a regional perspective and are expected to provide some basis for the government and stakeholders to make relevant decisions.

Social embeddedness and innovation behavior of innovation platform actors

Agricultural innovation platforms are increasingly being used as a means of mitigating agricultural value chain challenges through enabling the co-evolution of different elements in the innovation process. Given a number of actors and their different interests, governance dynamics and institutions are likely to play a fundamental role in the attainment of this objective. This study employed network governance theory to establish the influence of structures and relations in innovation platforms influence on actors’ innovation behavior. Using a sample of 319 randomly selected farmers and key informant interviews, it was established that the direct effect of embeddedness on innovation behavior was positive but insignificant (β=0.005, p= 0.953). The effect embeddedness on adaptation, coordination and safeguard of exchanges was positive and significant at (β=0.339, p0.01), (β=0.239, p0.01) and (β=0.262, p0.01) respectively. The role of adaptation in influencing innovation behavior was positive and significant with (β=0.264, p0.05). The study also finds that the indirect role of adaptation and safeguard of exchanges enhances the relationship between embeddedness and actor innovation behavior. The study recommends that to increase agricultural innovations, members of the networks should have adaptive measures through continuous search for new processes, new markets, reliable inputs and take advantage of new opportunities in their operating environment so as to be adaptive to this new work arrangement.

Networks Composition, a Relevant Factor to Their Resilience: Insights from Agricultural Innovation Platforms in Uganda

Management of project networks involves understanding the characterization of membership, in terms of breadth, depth, and motivations for joining. This study sought to assess the effect of network composition on resilience of project networks among agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) in Central and South Western Uganda. Like any network, having the right number and value of members is critical in the formation and functioning of an innovation platform. The study was anchored on social network theory adopting explanatory research design grounded on positivistic research philosophy. The study population comprised of 220 actors with a stratified sample of 132 actors in the 22 AIPs in Central and South Western Uganda. Out of the 132 sampled actors, 103 were interviewed representing 78% response rate generally considered adequate for further data analysis. The study used SPSS to analyse data through descriptive and inferential statistics. All study variables were tested at a confidence level of 95%. Results revealed that network composition was moderately embraced among the AIPs but has a significant effect on resilience of project networks. Based on these conclusions, the study recommends that AIP leaders should put in place appropriate mechanisms, which encourage attraction and retention of members while according due attention to their individual interests. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing an empirical model, which can be easily adopted by AIPs as well as validating tenets of the theoretical framework by anchoring the study among agricultural based project networks.

An exploratory study into the establishment of agricultural innovation platforms to improve agricultural efficiency in Hwedza district, Zimbabwe

Africa has suffered a series of challenges around food insecurities which are partly explained by inefficient agricultural systems. The agricultural innovation platforms have been popularized in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular as part of the answer to the many agricultural problems that include depressed productivity on the continent. The main aim of the study was to examine the intricate dynamics around the establishment and operationalization of the agricultural innovation platforms in Hwedza. This article is based on my PhD research that was carried out extensively through qualitative approaches for a period of twelve months in Hwedza district. I discuss the formation of the agricultural innovation platforms in Hwedza, including the selection of the villages from which small-scale farmers were drawn to become part of the platforms as well the subsequent operationalization of the platforms. Findings showed that local farmers have the capacity to initiate and implement transforming agricultural interventions that can improve agricultural productivity. I also argue that many of Africa’s agricultural problems require a locally bred solution that resonates with African philosophy and ways of doing things.

Transforming failing smallholder irrigation schemes in Africa: a theory of change

ABSTRACT Drawing on the results of the Transforming Irrigation in Southern Africa project, we assess positive transitions in smallholder irrigation schemes. The project’s theory of change is evaluated. Soil monitoring tools and agricultural innovation platforms were introduced in five irrigation schemes in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The synergies between these interventions increased both crop yields and profitability. This empowered farmers, improved equity, and accelerated social learning and innovation. The resulting, iterative cycles of change improved governance, sustainability and socio-economic outcomes. The challenges of scaling these interventions up and out are outlined.

An Empirical Chronicling of How Agricultural Innovation Platforms Were Established in Hwedza, Zimbabwe

This paper focuses on the establishment of agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) in the communal areas of Hwedza in Zimbabwe. Through the efforts of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), there have been initiatives to improve agricultural productivity in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular. One such intervention has been the AIPs that seek to bring together all stakeholders who can meaningfully contribute to the improvement of agriculture. Using largely qualitative approaches, data was collected through interviews from small scale farmers as well as different actors who were involved in the AIPs. The respondents in the study also included NGO workers, academic researchers, government workers, traditional leaders, agricultural financiers, extension workers and state-owned institutions. Using Norman Long’s interface analysis as the central theoretical framework, key findings showed that communal areas were active communities that had their own socio-economic network systems which govern how smallholder farmers operate. It also emerged that IPs are a result of a combination of the social and the formal/institutionalised structures that interacted in Hwedza. The paper concludes that IPs were established in Hwedza through a series of interactive processes among actors and these were not always smooth and successful.

The role of soil water monitoring tools and agricultural innovation platforms in improving food security and income of farmers in smallholder irrigation schemes in Tanzania

ABSTRACT Smallholder irrigation is an important pathway towards better livelihoods and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. This article assesses the contribution of farmer-friendly soil and water monitoring tools, and agricultural innovation platforms, towards household income and food security in two small-scale irrigation schemes in Tanzania. Quantitative and qualitative data from farmer’s field books, household surveys and focus groups were used to assess the impacts of the two interventions. The two interventions together contributed to enhancing smallholders’ food security and household income in the two schemes, as did the agricultural innovation platform on its own.

The importance of learning processes in transitioning small-scale irrigation schemes

ABSTRACT Many small-scale irrigation schemes are dysfunctional, and learning, innovation and evaluation are required to facilitate sustainable transitions. Using quantitative and qualitative data from five irrigation schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, we analyze how learning and change arose in response to: soil monitoring tools, which triggered a deep learning cycle; and agricultural innovation platforms, which helped develop a social learning system. Knowledge generation and innovation were driven by the incentives of more profitable farming. Learning and change spread to farmers without the tools, and learning at different levels resulted in extension and governance stakeholders facilitating profound institutional change.

Do agricultural innovation platforms and soil moisture and nutrient monitoring tools improve the production and livelihood of smallholder irrigators in Mozambique?

ABSTRACT Over four years, a research-for-development project was implemented at the 25 de Setembro irrigation scheme in Mozambique. The project introduced agricultural innovation platforms to overcome barriers to production such as input and output supply chains and poorly maintained irrigation canals. Soil moisture and nutrient monitoring tools were provided so that farmers could improve their irrigation and fertilizer management. The farmers increased their crop production through the use of the tools and better irrigation infrastructure, and increased their income and overall well-being through better links to markets and new information sources facilitated by the agricultural innovation platforms.

Identifying leverage points to transition dysfunctional irrigation schemes towards complex adaptive systems

ABSTRACT This article explores the value of Ostrom’s socio-ecological systems framework and Meadows’s leverage point hierarchy, as structured diagnostics, to define systemic problems and avoid approaches based on linear thinking. These frameworks were applied as an ex post analysis of an irrigation scheme in Zimbabwe, drawing on the scheme’s baseline condition and the intervention outcomes. Strong leverage points, particularly those driving feedback mechanisms and institutional design, interacted with other intervention points, initiating systemic change. This analysis suggests that dysfunctional schemes can be transitioned towards complex adaptive systems by using agricultural innovation platforms to identify systemic challenges and intervention points.

Scaling practices within agricultural innovation platforms: Between pushing and pulling

Growing empirical evidence suggests that innovation platforms can be effective in enhancing agricultural research impact by creating an enabling environment for scaling of innovations such as novel technologies, practices and busines models . However, efforts to understand how these innovation platforms operate to scale innovations are insufficient. Such knowledge is critical for improving the design of agricultural innovation systems, specifically within the context of a rising interest in the innovation platform approach to support the transformation of agriculture across Africa. This paper investigates the scaling approaches employed by innovation platforms established in Rwanda. The study focused on four innovation platforms created as part of the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Program and analysed their activities and the resulting scaling outcomes. The findings show that two approaches can be effectively combined during the intervention; (1) the innovation process that resembles a traditional, linear approach of finding short-term solutions to specific problems (push approach) and (2) the network building process where platforms employed multi-level, transdisciplinary processes (pull approach). In two areas, the platform activities appeared to have contributed to increased revenues of farmers. The alignment of the innovation platform activities with political agendas or broadly, the extent to which the scaling strategy considers the existing conducive context is shown to play a critical role in the scaling process. The study shows that a balanced combination of both push and pull approaches and a strategic linkage between the platform activities and external development – government policies and interventions – are critical for a productive agricultural transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings also indicate that the scaling processes require a “protected space” to materialise, and the scaling approach needs flexibility to accommodate the complexity of each innovation.

Supporting innovation through a multi-level platforms approach: A case study of the South African fresh fruit industry

Agricultural innovation platforms have become recognized as a key mechanism through which to stimulate innovation for inclusive development (I4ID) by serving as a space for agricultural stakeholders to engage, and to develop and diffuse agricultural innovations. This study investigates how an agricultural innovation environment is created through a multi-level platform. Through grounded theory methodology this article presents a conceptual management framework on the activities to establish and manage the functioning of agricultural multi-level innovation platforms based on the results of a systematic literature review. We then evaluate the credibility and conformability of the framework though analyzing the Fruit SA multi-level platform as a case study. The utility of this analysis for future work is to develop a more complete understanding of the functioning of multi-level platforms and their role in linking up value chain actors with the idea to support the development of such interventions in the future.

Influence of Social Mechanisms on Innovation Behaviour of Actors in Agricultural Innovation Platforms in Uganda

This study employed network governance theory to examine the intermediate social processes that lead to actor innovation behaviour in an agricultural innovation platform. Using a sample of 319 randomly selected farmers and key informant interviews, it was established that the direct effect of social mechanisms such as restricted access, collective sanctions, macro cultures and reputation on innovation behaviour was negative (β =-0.050) and insignificant implying that as networks put in place stringent rules and regulations, actors in an innovation network tend to withdraw from platform activities. However, the effect was positive and significant through adaptation (β =0.697), coordination (β =0.121) and safeguard of exchanges (β =0.418). This therefore means that for social mechanisms to influence actor innovation behaviour, they must be accompanied with adaptation and coordination measures and appropriate strategies that safeguard exchanges in a network. Platform leaders should also implement activities that bring all actors together to share relevant information, mobilize resources and synchronize the timing and sequencing of activities as a means of coordination, adaptation and safeguard of exchanges. The study further recommends that to increase the rate of agricultural innovations, members of the networks should continually seek for new processes, markets, inputs and take advantage of new opportunities in their operating environment so as to be adaptive. Key words : Innovation behaviour, innovation platforms, social mechanisms,

The perceived role of innovation platforms in addressing the agricultural value chain collective problems: an empirical application of transaction cost theory

Agricultural innovation platforms are increasingly seen as a panacea for mitigating the agricultural value chain challenges through enabling the co-evolution of different elements in the innovation process. A number of previous studies on IPs show processes for their formation and contribution to innovations. Very few studies have attempted to investigate the perceived benefits from platforms as important determinants for actor participation. Using a sample of 319 randomly selected farmers from one innovation platform in Uganda, it was established that the uncertain markets for the agricultural output, sources of inputs and agricultural information were perceived to be the key motivators for the formation of the platform. The study found a positive significant relationship between transaction cost challenges of environmental uncertainty and structural embeddedness (p<0.01) and frequency of interaction and structural embeddedness (p<0.05). On the other hand, environmental uncertainty, asset specificity and frequency of interactions were significantly correlated with relational embeddedness (p<0.05). However, the complexity of tasks in the value chain was not significantly correlated with structural and relational embeddedness (p≥0.05). It therefore means that to ensure effective participation and implementation of platform activities, efforts ought to be placed on fulfilling the platform’s promise as a forum for mitigation of transaction cost challenges such as inadequate markets for both output and inputs, customized products and inputs and lack of valuable agricultural information.
 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 8 (2): 1-12, December, 2018

Gender and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms through Agricultural Innovation Platforms in Rwanda

ABSTRACTThe low level of participation of women in the marketing and selling of crops in some patriarchal societies in the developing world has been documented. This article uses a case studies approach to document in detail two successful Agricultural Innovation Platforms (AIPs), out of nine studied, in order to understand what makes a successful AIP. The study shows that AIP activities in Rwanda are contributing to the achievement of gender mainstreaming through the equitable sharing of benefits supported by social, policy, and capacity factors. The article then provides evidence of how such policy or social factors are operationalized; how AIPs utilize policy; and how AIP processes integrate with local social norms and capital.

English

Innovation platforms are increasingly being used as a means of operationalizing innovation systems thinking. Agricultural innovation platforms are intended to bring together a number of stakeholders to promote an identified agricultural innovation. This is done through exchange of knowledge and other valuable resources to solve common problems. However, given the relatively new nature of innovation platforms, there is still limited conceptual knowledge on the mechanism within the platforms that leads to the implementation of innovations by different stakeholders who often have conflicting interests. This conceptual paper intended to review and unearth the intermediate processes that influence the actor innovation behavior by using the network governance theory. The review shows that the generation and implementation of ideas in an innovation platform is a process that involves structural, relational and social mechanisms. This review provides a foundation for future empirical studies in innovation platforms and particularly how they influence actor innovation behavior. Key words: Innovation platform, innovation behavior, network governance, agricultural innovation platforms.

Theory and application of Agricultural Innovation Platforms for improved irrigation scheme management in Southern Africa

Many small-scale irrigation systems are characterized by low yields and deteriorating infrastructure. Interventions often erroneously focus on increasing yields and rehabilitating infrastructure. Small-scale irrigation systems have many of the characteristics of complex socio-ecological systems, with many different actors and numerous interconnected subsystems. However, the limited interaction between the different subsystems and their agents prevents learning and the emergence of more beneficial outcomes. This article reports on using Agricultural Innovation Platforms to create an environment in which irrigation scheme actors can engage, experiment, learn and build adaptive capacity to increase market-related offtake and move out of poverty.