Agricultural Knowledge And Innovation System Research Articles

All for One and One for All: Dissecting PREMIERE’s Inclusive AKIS Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Innovation is increasingly being considered a social process, more bottom-up and interactive, than top-down science to implementation. Projects funded at a European level under Cluster 6 of the Horizon Europe Work Programme, and EIP-AGRI Operational Groups at a national and regional level in each of the 27 EU Member States, reflect this by placing a greater focus on making the best use of different types of knowledge and complimentary expertise (practical, scientific, technical, organisational, etc.) through the Multi-actor Approach (MAA). A wealth of strategic management literature exists on good practice stakeholder engagement strategies which mobilise the necessary bidirectional and cross-sectoral knowledge exchange and idea generation required for successful co-innovation ecosystems. Its counterpart however, from an Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) perspective, is largely absent. This method article addresses this disparity and gap in literature by describing a 5-step AKIS Stakeholder Engagement Strategy developed by the PREMIERE Horizon Europe Project to help co-create an ‘enabling environment’ to foster and ‘speed up’ innovation, knowledge sharing and digitisation in agriculture, forestry and related sectors through mutually beneficial interactions between an extensive and diverse network of AKIS actors (e.g. researchers, advisors, agri-businesses, farmers) at EU, National and regional level. The inclusive nature of the multi-staged stakeholder engagement strategy outlined in this paper, inspired by strategic management literature, helps close the innovation gap between policy, research and practice through genuine multi-actor dialogue, holistic insights and feedback from project inception to completion, thereby helping to build trusting, meaningful and lasting relationships of mutual respect amongst relevant AKIS stakeholders, ranging from policy makers to harder to reach groups ‘on-the ground’, in place of mere, one-off consultations. The resultant knowledge exchange will significantly contribute to meeting objectives and targets set out in the European Green Deal, EU Climate Policy, Common Agricultural Policy and Farm to Fork Strategy.

Improving the Education and Training Policies of the Agri-Food and Forestry Sectors: Identifying New Strategies to Meet the Needs of the Sector and Farm-to-Fork Priorities

The current European agri-food and forestry (AFF) systems are perceived to be moving too slowly towards more sustainable agriculture, forestry, food and bio-based value chains. The European Green Deal and Farm to Fork (FtF) Strategy stress the importance of the sustainable transition of food systems that emphasize resilience and justice along food chains. In this direction, education and training (ET) are given a major role, constituting one of the pillars of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) framework. This study aims to propose an extended version of the AKIS framework to focus on the transition of policies concerning the ET pillar and to use this framework as a conceptual background with which to identify strategies for the improvement of ET policies in the AFF sectors. Data collection was undertaken through a round of workshops, and the data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results revealed that the need for a high-quality educational policy and the need to enhance collaboration, entrepreneurship and innovative learning methods were among the most important for the sector, where urgent changes in pace and an approach in ET are necessary for the entire value chain, from farm to fork. These results emphasize that pivoting the transition of ET systems toward achieving the Green Deal, FtF and new CAP objectives requires the development of policies that support student-centered and interdisciplinary education, while also being flexible and supported by non-formal and lifelong learning approaches.

Do Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems Have the Dynamic Capabilities to Guide the Digital Transition of Short Food Supply Chains?

The digitalization of agriculture generates a new environment for the actors involved in agrifood production. In such a context, Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKISs) face the challenge of reconsidering their operational paradigms, redefining priorities, and designing strategies to achieve new aims. To do so, the actors participating in AKISs should develop and exploit a set of competencies known as dynamic capabilities, including the aptitude to sense the change in the external environment, the capacity to seize the opportunities that this change creates, and an ability to transform and adapt themselves to the new conditions that digitalization generates. In this study, using as examples the AKISs operating in Greece and Italy, we aimed to uncover if and how actors participating in these systems attempt and manage to deploy such capabilities. Based on a qualitative approach and drawing on data from two workshops, we discovered that seizing the opportunities sensed is a challenging task for AKIS actors. Our results also indicate that knowledge is a pivotal resource for AKISs, allowing actors to enhance their transformative capacity. However, to create a “collective” knowledge base, AKISs should ensure a functional connection between stakeholders and strengthen the roles of actors not actively engaged with the system, like public advisory organizations, universities, and technology providers.

Agricultural Chambers in the Process of Transfer of Knowledge and Innovations for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas in Poland

Agricultural chambers together with agricultural advisory centers and other entities are part of the European Union Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). The system consists of a network of entities whose activities are focused on the introduction of new products, technologies, and organizational forms for use in agriculture. The AKIS is also defined as a network of research institutes, advisory centers, agricultural chambers, agricultural schools, and other non-governmental organizations that help farmers to upgrade the innovativeness and competitiveness of their farms and solve agriculture-related problems. In Poland, the activities of self-government in the agricultural sector are specified by the Act on Agricultural Chambers of 14 December 1995. An important research problem is the assessment of the activities of agricultural chambers in terms of the transfer of knowledge and innovations in agriculture in Poland and the determination of their place in the AKIS. This study of the impact of agricultural self-government on the transfer of knowledge and innovations in agriculture was carried out through the analysis of selected agricultural chambers in various regions of Poland taking into account the differences in the average surface area of agricultural land belonging to one farm. The research shows that agricultural chambers’ activities had a substantial impact on the rate of absorption of EU funds under the Rural Development Program in the analyzed regions. The comparison of the effectiveness of the agricultural chambers in Poland with the activities of chambers in the other EU Member States indicates a weak influence of the former on developmental processes in agriculture. Agricultural chambers should actively participate in the formulation of the national agricultural policy, take greater measures to ensure the stability of agricultural income and the flow of information, and be an important partner for farmers in representing their interests.

Visualised AKIS Diagnosis – an Instrumental Approach to Support AKIS Appraisal

SummaryThe AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System) concept is now widely applied in the EU partly due to latest CAP regulation. Visualisation‐based AKIS diagnosis relies on the iterative elaboration of an AKIS diagram that provides a static picture of what elements of the system are linked through what kind of relations in which socio‐economic contexts and environments. In this article we discuss the implications of using the visualised AKIS diagnosis method based on our empirical assessment of AKIS in 28 European countries. The method involved drafting AKIS diagrams based on targeted desk research, conducting dialogues with experts affiliated with or overseeing prominent knowledge organisations to adjust and refine the diagrams and to analyse actor diversity and linkages. The final diagrams and the background reports on AKIS appraisal were used to deepen the AKIS understanding among various stakeholders in the agriculture sector, as well as an input for the CAP strategic plan preparation in some countries. We conclude that the visualised AKIS diagnosis has a great potential to make complex knowledge infrastructures and exchange processes tangible. However, it also comes with risks, for example, that the snapshot in time may become misleading, through being an outdated or erroneous representation.

About Governance of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System – The Case of Bulgaria - part I

This paper examines the governance, efficiency, and development of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria. The Governance of AKIS includes diverse governing agents, a variety of rules, mechanisms and modes for agents, and the process of governing, and the outcome (specific order and efficiency) of the governance. First, participants in the country’s AKIS and the type of their relations are specified. Second, a diagnosis of the state and trends in AR&D is made. The study is based on available data from statistical sources, official reports, fields surveys as well as assessments of a panel of leading experts in the area and stakeholders’ representatives. The study has found out that AKIS of the country consists of diverse and numerous organisations, for which activities and complex relations have no sufficient official or other reliable information. Bulgarian AKIS demonstrates low resource endowment and efficiency, domination of outdated public institutions and undeveloped private sector, insufficient sharing of knowledge and innovations, slow and uneven application of modern technologies, varieties, production and management methods, digitalisation, etc. in different types of farms, sub-sectors of agriculture and regions of the country.

About Governance of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System. The Case of Bulgaria. Part III

This paper is the third part of our attempt to examine the governance, efficiency, and development of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria based on a project related to mechanisms and the modes of agrarian governance in Bulgaria. The research continues with the expert assessment on governance of AKIS in Bulgaria and the SWOT analysis regarding development strategy and intervention needs providing recommendations and actionable steps to address the identified weaknesses and enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and inclusiveness of the AKIS governance. It is emphasizing the approaches of comparative data and institutional analysis, gap analysis, SWOT, strategic orientation, experts’ assessments to identify actors and relations, state and trends in development, assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, formulate adequate strategy, and specify overall and public intervention needs of AKIS in the country.

Endogenous learning and innovation in African smallholder agriculture: lessons from Guinea-Bissau

ABSTRACT Purpose To advance understanding about the way endogenous knowledge on mangrove swamp rice (MSR) farming is transmitted, reinvented and negotiated between generations and highlight the implications this has for R4D. Design/Methodology/Approach Long-term qualitative research using an ethnographic approach, technography and biographies of farmers. Findings The endogenous Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) is dynamic but faces shortcomings owing to socio-environmental changes. This highlights the relevance of knowledge exchanges from multiple sources, eroding the divide between endogenous and exogenous from the farmers’ point of view. For positive exogenously induced socio-technical change to occur, external actors must fully understand the conditions under which (a) endogenous knowledge is produced and reinvented and (b) endogenous innovations flow among farmers. This will then allow the co-production of innovations adapted to each specific agro-ecological, cultural and socio-economic context, leaving them to be further transformed and refashioned by smallholders to meet their individual ‘dispositions’ and generate the roots necessary for a strong AKIS. Practical implications This paper highlights the importance of locally embedded processes of learning and innovation, the better understanding of which can provide a more solid basis for the co-production of technologies and the establishment of an AKIS. Theoretical implications This paper improves understanding of socio-technological change in smallholder agriculture by focusing on endogenous processes of learning and innovation. Originality This paper advances the knowledge on endogenous processes of learning and socio-technical change in smallholder agriculture.

Multifunctional farm advisory services in promoting change in agricultural systems: The case of Campania region of Italy

<abstract> <p>Entrepreneurial contexts may be marked by the presence of a 'cultural environment' that stimulates knowledge and innovation adoption, while other contexts may act as barriers toward change and innovation. Moreover, multiple paths of multifunctional agriculture bring about a call for "multifunctional farm advisory services" (MFAS), which consider both private and public goods provided by the farming sector. Set against the background of multiple roles of agriculture, how to identify sound and pertinent knowledge becomes of paramount, to specify the roles of agricultural extensionists and the mechanisms of governance of MFAS within the setting up of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). Our aim of the study is either to analyze attitudes toward the privatization of extension services within a predominantly public system of regional governance and to identify advisors' profile and their suitability with the modern vision of multifunctional agriculture through the emergence of MFAS. Empirical analysis evidences the presence of a diversified set of advisory services with different degrees of coherence with the multifunctional agricultural model. Also, the more advisory services are oriented towards empowering multifunctional agriculture the less the propensity towards their privatization. The cluster analysis has demonstrated a relatively good advisor's capability to deal with the new demands of multifunctional agriculture. The idea of MFAS has important theoretical implications that the paper tries to excavate through the analysis of the mechanisms of governance (public/private) and the identification of the advisors' profile facing the growing complexity of the farming sector, grounded on multifunctional agriculture. The study tries to fill a gap in the literature, by providing an original contribution to modeling the profile of advisors in charge of supporting the transition towards multifunctionality.</p> </abstract>

Advancing AKIS with assemblage thinking

The establishment of effective national agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) became a European policy imperative in the 2010s, lodged in a political ideology which emphasised the importance of innovation to economic growth. We argue that the recent deployment of the AKIS concept in EU policy presents important opportunities for the agricultural sector and associated academic research but has significant weaknesses in terms of the scale of analysis (over emphasis on national levels) and disconnection from academic thinking on innovation processes. In this paper we progress the AKIS approach by utilising assemblage theory. We argue that assemblage concepts – in line with other ‘more-than-human’ approaches - offer mechanisms for recognising and integrating the role of non-human actants in innovation processes. Inclusion of these actants highlight the co-constructed nature of farm knowledge and associated transition processes. Assemblage concepts of historicity and rupture demonstrate how the path dependencies of farming are embedded in the material conditions of production, and the learning processes which occur when path dependencies are interrupted. We illustrate these contentions with empirical case studies of the ‘microAKIS’ – self-assembled farmer knowledge networks and associated processes - characterising four innovations across Europe: the introduction of a new commodity (avocado) in Greece, mainstreaming of robotic milking in Norway, retro-innovation of direct marketing in Latvia, and outsourcing of (dehumanised) farm labour in France.

About Governance of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System. The Case of Bulgaria. Part II

This paper is the second part of the attempt to examine the governance, efficiency, and development of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria. In the years of EU membership, the expenditures for AR&D significantly decreased absolutely and relatively as a share in the total expenditures for R&D, which indicates diminishing importance and deteriorating financial, personnel, and material potential of the agrarian knowledge and innovation sector. The research continues the first part already published in the previous issue with the third point of view related to the governance of agrarian research in Bulgaria is unpacked; forth, the state of the system of education and training of agricultural producers in the country is analysed.

Social integration mechanisms to strengthen absorptive capacity in agricultural advisory service organisations

ABSTRACT Purpose To explore the structures and processes within agricultural advisory organisations that may enhance absorptive capacity (AC) and determine how organisations develop their AC. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative explorative case study of advisory services in Norway, which are structured as farmer cooperatives. Interviews, document analysis, and internet information are applied. Findings Strong social mechanisms are needed to realise the potential AC in an organisation. Advisory organisations with incorporated research and development (R&D) can translate findings from both their own research projects and external sources, which increases their absorptive capacity and boosts service innovation. Further, systematic emphasis on continuous learning strengthens AC, as do networking and internal communications. Practical implications By improving the incorporation of R&D, continuous learning and networking, advisory service organisations can benefit from the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). Ultimately farmers can receive more updated and relevant services for their farms. Theoretical implications Incorporation of R&D, continuous learning and networking are significant social integration mechanisms that can improve a firm’s AC. Originality/value Previous studies on AC have shown that it is important for innovation. This paper sheds additional light on how AC can be improved.

The functionality of agricultural extension and advisory services from a system perspective: a subnational level analysis in India

ABSTRACT Purpose: This paper deals with the system level empirical analysis of Extension and Advisory Service (EAS) characteristics in India which help in identifying the functional nature of a pluralistic extension system. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses the ‘Best Fit’ framework for analysis of EAS of 36 organisations and applies criteria of functional advisory services proposed by Prager et al. Findings: Drawing knowledge from diverse sources; appropriate cooperation between them; a stable or growing workforce of field staff; staff receiving regular training and the use of a wide range of advisory methods by EAS providers were the positive aspects contributing to functional EAS. Advisory topics covered and clients group orientation was not uniform and inclusive. Time spent on advisories and other activities varied considerably among the different categories of organisations. Despite limitations, public EAS providers still play an important role in cementing all EAS providers in a pluralistic extension system and reaching out to the unreached. Practical implications: System level evaluation of EAS in a country highlights the functional and dysfunctional components of pluralistic EAS which can be strengthened or fixed for improving EAS support to farmers. Theoretical implications: The study depicts the application of the Best Fit Framework for system level evaluation of pluralistic EAS in a sub-national context. The conceptual framework for assessing the functionality of the EAS system is mainly drawn using the theories of New Institutional Economics and Operational Management. Originality/Value: The uniqueness of this study is that it evaluates EAS from a systems perspective and empirically identifies the functional and dysfunctional aspects while considering it as a part of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS).

The importance of proximity dimensions in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems: The case of banana disease management in Rwanda

CONTEXTSocial networks play an important role in the diffusion of knowledge, and farmers draw on their personal networks to enhance their adaptive capacity to shocks. Different forms of proximity have been long recognized as important factors in knowledge and information exchanges. However, the specific roles and their interactions in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKISs) are still far from clear. In this study, we investigate the underlying forces that drive tie formation within the knowledge-sharing networks of banana farmers in four different villages in Rwanda. OBJECTIVEOur study has three objectives: First, we discuss the importance of various types of proximities in AKIS research. Second, we empirically contribute to how different forms of proximity influence the way knowledge diffuses in formal and informal networks by studying a plant disease's management. Finally, we discuss our findings' relevance for targeted interventions to help rural communities transition to greater resilience. METHODSWe review different proximity concepts and adapt them for use within an AKIS context. We then apply this framework to assess the proximity effects on the advice-seeking networks of banana farmers in four purposefully chosen villages in Rwanda. We used a structured questionnaire to collect social network information about the management of banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW), from all banana growers (N = 491) in these four villages. We distinguished the informal advice networks among farmers from the official government extension system—the formal advice network. We employed exponential random-graph models to assess the determinants of the networks we observed, especially geographical, cognitive and social proximity indices. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe found that geographical proximity significantly affects knowledge exchange within larger villages' informal advice networks; but not in smaller villages, where both cognitive and social proximities play substantial roles. We argue that farmers are socially closer in smaller communities where geographical distance does not matter, and that geographical distance only starts to matter after a certain community size threshold is reached. SIGNIFICANCEWe provide solid empirical evidence to help plan targeted interventions toward greater resilience for rural communities. We argue that properly integrating informal social networks can result in more effective knowledge exchange within AKISs, enhancing their resilience.

Who are Advisory Services Leaving Out? A Critical Reflection on ‘Hard to Reach’ Farmers

SummaryAlthough the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union has broadened its objectives to integrate social issues, several hard‐to‐reach groups of farmers and workers continue to be ignored by advisory services and associated policies. Connecting with these groups has a strong potential to increase the economic and social cohesion of European agricultures. We interviewed over 1,000 farmers across Europe and identified features of these groups that are often overlooked by advisory services. We critically reflected on the social cohorts omitted from advisory services and how they could be better reached; they include farm labourers, new entrants or ‘career changers’, and later adopters. We clarify the different types of advisors in the advisory landscape, distinguishing between those who are linked to or independent from sales of inputs or technologies. We make concrete recommendations about how to engage advisors with hard‐to‐reach groups, with approaches suited to different national contexts of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS); thus contributing to the ‘AKIS dimension of National Strategic Plans of the next Common Agricultural Policy, 2023–2027. We argue for the more effective use of advances in the social sciences through a better understanding of advice as social interaction which can bolster the inclusiveness of public policies.

New Entrants Need Tailored Farm Advice

SummarySupporting new entrants in farming is an increasingly important political and practical issue in European agriculture. This article looks at a specific group of new entrants – career changers – who move into agriculture from other occupational and educational backgrounds. As they bridge several worlds, they are often important innovators. One of the main challenges encountered by this group is the lack of tailored advice and insufficient capacity of the existing agricultural advisory services to respond to their specific innovation needs. The article examines how career changers use the knowledge from their background and access new knowledge on agriculture. The research is based on biographical interviews with individuals who have changed their careers and in‐depth interviews with advisors in Latvia. The results suggest that the gap between knowledge needs and knowledge services is being filled through the creation of professional networks by new entrants with each other and with industry experts and customers and to a lesser degree with formal advisory services. We discuss how in this situation various actors in the EU’s agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS) may better help the career changers to professionalise in farming and undertake sustainability‐oriented innovations.

How rurality influences interactive innovation processes: lessons learnt from 15 case studies in 12 countries

ABSTRACT Rural regions are considered a key element to allow a shift towards sustainable development. However, to what extent they are able to innovate and how they integrate into interactive innovation processes considering their distance from urban centres remains unclear. By drawing on 15 case studies of interactive innovation in agriculture and rural development in a variety of rural regions across Europe, and combining a rural-urban typology with data on the quality of AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems), four classes of ruralities were defined. In them, the innovation process was analysed by paying special attention to the analytical aspects of: (i) organizational structure; (ii) initial idea; (iii) finance; (iv) access to extraregional resources. The results show that innovation in more rural regions is often inspired by external ideas, while drawing on already well-established networks. Rural entrepreneurs as individual actors drive innovation, but struggle in ‘thin’ environments with little support and scarce private funding. The private sector can buffer lack of AKIS support, but embedded NGOs and producers’ organizations act as last resorts in more remote regions. The study contributes to a profounder understanding of how rurality impacts innovation processes, offering an analytical framework for future rurality studies and policy interventions.

Exploring how social capital and learning are related to the resilience of Dutch arable farmers

CONTEXTEnhancing farm resilience has become a key policy objective of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to help farmers deal with numerous interrelated economic, environmental, social, and institutional shocks and stresses. A central theme in resilience thinking is the role of the unknown, implying that knowledge is incomplete and that change, uncertainty, and surprise are inevitable. Important strategies to enhance resilience are exploiting social capital and learning as these contribute to improved knowledge to prepare farmers for change. OBJECTIVEThis paper explores how social capital and learning relate to farm resilience along the dimensions of robustness, adaptation, and transformation. METHODSWe study the resilience of Dutch arable farmers from the Veenkoloniën and Oldambt using a combination of four methods. Qualitative data from semi-structured farmer interviews, focus groups, and expert interviews are combined with quantitative data from farmer surveys. The qualitative data are analysed using thematic coding. Non-parametric tests are used to analyse the quantitative data. Based on methodological triangulation, we mostly find convergence in our qualitative and quantitative datasets increasing the validity of our findings. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe results reveal that social capital and learning help farmers to adapt and are, in certain cases, also related to robustness and transformations. Robust farmers often learned by exploiting farmers' informal social networks, primarily relying on bonding social capital to acquire knowledge about agriculture or develop financial skills. Farmers undertaking adaptation are characterised by bonding and bridging social capital obtained by formal and informal networks, are early adopters of innovation, and have high self-efficacy. Combinations of bridging and linking social capital from formal networks could foster farmers to learn new ideas and critically reflect on current farm business models. These learning outcomes relate to farm transformations. SIGNIFICANCEThis study provides some early results on the dynamic relationship between farmers' social capital and learning and how these concepts are associated with resilience. Our findings are relevant for agricultural policy makers, as we provide recommendations on how social capital and learning have some potential to facilitate farm adaptation and transformation and improve information exchange in Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS).

Reconnecting Farmers with Nature through Agroecological Transitions: Interacting Niches and Experimentation and the Role of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems

Sustainability transitions in agriculture are explored through an analysis of niche initiatives within a common production system, relying on sustainable transitions, multi-level perspectives, and agroecological frameworks, and involving multi-actor, agricultural knowledge, and innovation systems (AKIS). The article focuses on how experimental niches and sustainable activities affect farmers’ relationships with nature, and the reconceptualisation of the production system in which they operate, particularly where this system is embedded in less sustainable conventional or dominant regimes and landscapes. The need for fundamental changes, in the way that humans interact with nature, is widely argued for in order to achieve sustainable development, and farmers occupy a central role through participation in complex networks of agri-food systems. They have also found themselves disconnected from nature through conventional agri-industrial production practices. Four niches (biological control, ecological restoration, soil health, and ecological pond management) within the greenhouse sector of Almeria (SE Spain) are explored in a case study. Our results indicate that a farmer’s interaction with nature is functional, but through agroecological practices, a deeper understanding of the ecosystems in which greenhouse landscapes are embedded may be gained. As they become more connected to nature and benefit from ecosystem services, they can transition to more sustainable agricultural systems.

Governance of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria

Governance of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria