"Improving Agricultural Practices among African Smallholders" - The Contribution of Adoption and Diffusion of Innovation Research to Agricultural Development in Africa

Farmers, agricultural scientists and politicians have become very aware of the need to increase agricultural productivity in Africa. While there has been a recognition of diverse factors that can contribute to increased productivity, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the need to change farm technology. Although the traditional farming system might have satisfied the needs of peasant society, it has not been able to supply the needs of present day Africa. In most African countries, food production has fallen behind demand (Food and Agricultural Organization, 1974). Thus, there has been a great deal of effort to change the farming practices of the peasants through the introduction of new and/or improved farm technology. Numerous recommendations have emerged from agricultural research stations, universities and international research institutes in Africa, but the majority of African farming continue to rely on their traditional farming It is therefore not surprising that the Association for the Advancement of Agricultural Sciences in Africa (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1975: iii) has concluded: lag between knowledge and practice is usually long, but in some parts of Africa it has seemed to be infinite. The value of research findings, however great, remains potential only until they are transmitted to him who will use them in production practices. As a result of the failure to improve the farmers practices of African peasants, most African countries continue to spend a substantial amount of their earnings on importation of food (Monu, forthcoming). This paper takes the view that the non-adoption of recommended farm practices in Africa is attributable in part to the strategy adopted in the introduction of farm practices and the research results which have legitimized this strategy. The objective of this paper, therefore, is to review the strategy commonly practiced in Africa and the research associated with it to point out their shortcomings. In addition, the paper suggests an alternative strategy and research approach

Agricultural development · Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Innovation diffusion · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Marketing

• The transfer of agricultural technology and the development of small-scale farming in rural Africa

  Open Access•Cleophas Lado•GeoJournal•1998

  Incluir item

• Understanding Indigenous Innovation in Rural West Africa

  Joel R Matthews•Journal of Human Development•2017

  Incluir item

• Modernization among peasants

  Everett M Rogers•Modernization among peasants•1969

  Incluir item

• Communication of innovations

  Everett M Rogers•Communication of innovations•1971

  Incluir item

• Integrated rural development in Nigeria

  Open Access•Brian D'Silva, Brian C D'Silva et al.•Food Policy•1980

  Incluir item

• Traditions of Research on the Diffusion of Innovation

  Elihu Katz, Martin L Levin et al.•American Sociological Review•1963

  Incluir item

• Innovation Diffusion among the Gusii of Kenya

  Ronald D Garst•Economic Geography•1974

  Incluir item

• The Market and Infrastructure Context of Adoption

  Lawrence A Brown•Economic Geography•1975

  Incluir item

• Attributes of Innovations as Factors in Diffusion

  Frederick C Fliegel, Joseph E Kivlin•American Journal of Sociology•1966

  Incluir item