Abstract
Despite gains in agricultural yields, access to food remains a serious challenge in many parts of the world. It is now recognized that improving food security requires a more integrated understanding of food systems and that key under-explored areas of these systems are likely to be crucial in developing effective policy change. In Kenya, institutional changes have occurred to facilitate knowledge integration within the agricultural sector. Drawing on the experiences and understandings of key stakeholders in Kenya, this paper aims to identify and better understand the barriers to knowledge integration for improved agricultural technologies and their adoption. A number of barriers to the flow of knowledge to and from those working to develop new agricultural technologies and farmers are identified. The results of this study suggest a potential link between farmers’ levels of community organization and levels of trust with levels of knowledge integration surrounding agricultural technologies and their adoption. The findings suggest that increasing the planning and follow-up of newly introduced agricultural technologies has the potential to encourage interdisciplinary approaches and improve food security outcomes.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
This study forms part of a broader exploration of the institutional factors affecting knowledge integration for sustainable food security in Kenya (Hickey and Muhammad 2011).
References
Babbie, E. (2001). The practice of social research (9th ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth.
Boeije, H. (2002). A purposeful approach to the constant comparative method in the analysis of qualitative interviews. Quality and Quantity, 36, 391–409.
Cavatassi, R., Lipper, L., & Narloch, U. (2011). Modern variety adoption and risk management in drought prone areas: insights from the sorghum farmers of eastern Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics, 42, 279–292.
Cooksey, R. W. (2011). Yours, mine or ours: what counts as innovation? The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 17(3), 283–295.
Cornwall, A. (2008). Unpacking ‘participation’: models, meanings and practices. Community Development Journal, 43(3), 269–283.
Darr, D., & Pretzsch, J. (2008). Mechanisms of innovation diffusion under information abundance and information scarcity – on the contribution of social networks in group vs. individual extension approaches in semi-arid Kenya. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 14(3), 231–248.
Davis, K., Franzel, S., Hildebrand, P., Irani, T., & Place, N. (2011). Extending technologies among small-scale farmers in Meru, Kenya: ingredients for success in farmer groups. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 10(2), 53–62.
Ellis, K., Baugher, T. A., & Lewis, K. (2010). Results from survey instruments used to assess technology adoption for tree fruit production. HortTechnology, 20(6), 1043–1048.
Ericksen, P. J. (2008). Conceptualizing food systems for global environmental change research. Global Environmental Change, 18(1), 234–245.
FAO. (2009). The State of Food Insecurity in the world: Economic crises – impacts and lessons learned. Rome, Italy: FAO.
FAO. (2010a). Gross Food Production per Capita Index. FAOSTAT. http://faostat.fao.org/site/612/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=612#ancor. Accessed 4 April 2011.
FAO. (2010b). The State of Food Insecurity in the world: Addressing food insecurity in protracted crises. Rome, Italy: FAO.
FAO. (2011). Kenya. Country Briefs. http://www.fao.org/countries/55528/en/ken/. Accessed 5 April 2011.
Foley, J. A., DeFries, R., Asner, G. P., Barford, C., Bonan, G., Carpenter, S. R., et al. (2005). Global consequences of land use. Science, 309(5734), 570–574.
Gibbons, M. (2000). Context-sensitive science. Science and Public Policy, 27(3), 159–163.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago, USA: Aldine Publishing Company.
Government of Kenya. (2010). Agricultural Sector Development Strategy 2010–2020. http://www.kilimo.go.ke/kilimo_docs/pdf/ASDS_Final.pdf. Accessed 4 April 2011.
Gregory, P. J., & Ingram, J. S. I. (2008). Climate change and the current ‘food crisis’. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 3(99), 1–10.
Grove, R. W. (1988). An analysis of the constant comparative method. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 1(3), 273–279.
Hickey, G. M., & Muhammad, L. W. (2011). Enhancing Ecologically Resilient Food Security through Innovative Farming Systems in the Semi-Arid Midlands of Kenya. Project 106510–002 funded through the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Ottawa.
KFSSG. (2010). The short rains season assessment report. Nairobi, Kenya: Government of Kenya.
Kristjanson, P., Reid, R. S., Dickson, N., Clark, W. C., Romney, D., Puskur, R., et al. (2009). Linking international research knowledge with action for sustainable development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(13), 5047–5052.
Lal, R. (2009). Soils and world food security. Soil Tillage Research, 102(1), 1–4.
Llewellyn, R. S. (2007). Information quality and effectiveness for more rapid adoption decisions by farmers. Field Crops Research, 104, 148–156.
Malthus, T. R. (1798). An essay on the principle of population, as it affects the future improvement of society with remarks on the speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers. London, England: J. Johnson.
Mati, B. M., Wanjogu, R., Odongo, B., & Home, P. G. (2011). Introduction of the system of rice intensification in Kenya: experiences from Mwea Irrigation Scheme. Paddy and Water Environment, 9, 145–154.
Matson, P. A., Parton, W. J., Power, A. G., & Swift, M. J. (1997). Agricultural intensification and ecosystem properties. Science, 277(5325), 504–509.
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1984). An expanded sourcebook: Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, USA: Sage Publications.
Nah, S. L., & Chau, C. F. (2010). Issues and challenges in defeating world hunger. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 21, 544–557.
Neef, A., & Neubert, D. (2011). Stakeholder participation in agricultural research projects: a conceptual framework for reflection and decision making. Agriculture and Human Values, 28, 179–194.
Ngigi, S. N. (2003). What is the limit of up-scaling rainwater harvesting in a river basin? Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 28, 943–956.
Pretty, J. (1995). Participatory learning for sustainable agriculture. World Development, 23(8), 1247–1263.
Qiu, J. (2008). Is China ready for GM rice? Nature, 455, 850–852.
Stringer, L. C. (2009). Reviewing the links between desertification and food insecurity: from parallel challenges to synergistic solutions. Food Security, 1, 113–126.
Suri, T. (2011). Selection and comparative advantage in technology adoption. Econometrica, 79(1), 159–206.
Sutherland, A. J., Irungu, J. W., Kang’ara, J., Muthamia, J., & Ouma, J. (1999). Household food security in semi-arid Africa – the contribution off participatory adaptive research and development to rural livelihoods in Eastern Kenya. Food Policy, 24, 369–390.
Taylor, S. J., & Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource (3rd ed.). New York, USA: John Wiley & Sons Incorporated.
Tilman, D. (1999). Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: the need for sustainable and efficient practices. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 96(11), 5995–6000.
Tilman, D., Cassman, K. G., Matson, P. A., Naylor, R., & Polasky, S. (2002). Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature, 418, 671–677.
Todt, O. (2011). The limits of policy: public acceptance and the reform of science and technology. Technological Forcasting and Social Change, 78, 902–909.
Tonkiss, F. (2004). Using Focus Groups. In C. Seale (Ed.), Researching society and culture (2nd ed., pp. 193–206). London, England: Sage Publications.
UN General Assembly. (2000). United Nations Millennium Declaration (A/RES/55/2). The Millennium Summit of the United Nations. http://www.un.org/millennium/summit.htm. Accessed April 5 2011.
von Braun, J. (2009). Addressing the food crisis: governance, market functioning, and investment in public goods. Food Security, 1, 9–15.
Weiss, R. S. (1994). Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview studies. New York, USA: The Free Press.
White, S. C. (1996). Depoliticising development: the uses and abuses of participation. Development in Practice, 6(1), 6–15.
Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods. California, USA: Sage Publications.
Acknowledgements
This research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada (861-2009-1104). In addition, this work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). We are grateful for the strong research support provided by Dr. Leigh Brownhill and Dr. Bernard Pelletier, McGill University. We would also like to thank the research participants who donated their time and knowledge to our study. The valuable comments from three anonymous reviewers are acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eidt, C.M., Hickey, G.M. & Curtis, M.A. Knowledge integration and the adoption of new agricultural technologies: Kenyan perspectives. Food Sec. 4, 355–367 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-012-0175-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-012-0175-2