Keith M. Moore

Network framing of pest management knowledge and practice

Conventional technology transfer is based on the assumption that autonomous individuals independently make behavioral decisions. In contrast, Actor-Network Theory (ANT) suggests that people and technolo- gies are interconnected in ways that reinforce and reproduce some types of knowledge and consequent behavioral practices, but not others. Research on pest management in Mali shows the extent to which farm-level decisions are shaped off-farm through contracts that communicate commercial and regulatory decision-making information. Findings from the analysis of Ukrainian farmer pest management decision-making demonstrate the exercise of power of commercial interests. In light of these findings, evidence from Farmer Field School experiences in Indonesia is re- interpreted. This paper concludes that knowledge networks are not monolithic and, furthermore, there is competition between network segments to define appropriate knowledge and practice. It also recommends that agricultural scientists pay more attention to the negotiations framing legitimate knowledge about the networks in which their producer clienteles are embedded.

Access to technical information and gendered NRM practices: Men and women in rural Senegal

Gender differences in knowledge of NRM practices have long been noted in Senegal and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. An exploration of these differences among a sample of rural Senegalese men and women shows that these differences are, in part, a function of extension agent interventions. The level of knowledge of a set of NRM technologies is associated with contact with three key types of extension agent in rural Senegal: extension team leaders, forestry agents, and womens agents. Analysis of intra-household variation in levels of knowledge shows a degree of interdependence between the knowledge levels of husbands and wives for some practices. However, multi-variate analysis, controlling for personal and contextual factors, clearly demonstrates the independent impact of extension agents on gender differences in rural Senegalese NRM knowledge. It can be concluded that contact with extension agents increases knowledge of NRM practices. In particular, contact with the womens agent is a strong predictor of the level of womens NRM knowledge and, surprisingly, also contributes to the level of mens knowledge. Despite the small number of womens agents in the field, they appear to have significant positive impact on the dissemination of NRM knowledge among rural Senegalese women and men.

Global Networks in Local Agriculture: A Framework for Negotiation

Agricultural systems operate through the enrollment of local actors into social networks. These social networks share common idioms and expectations concerning appropriate knowledge and practices. Interaction and competition between social network segments creates the potential for technological change and sustainable production. In the past, global actors enrolled local actors into the networks of modern agriculture through the success of the technology transfer model. However, the innovation to resolve the current problems of local agroecologies requires a more reflexive approach. The adaptive management model facilitates the negotiation of boundaries between networks while addressing the most pressing issues of sustainable local agriculture.

A social networks approach for strengthening participation in technology innovation: lessons learnt from the Mount Elgon region of Kenya and Uganda

Participatory approaches to agricultural technology development have not yet fully lived up to their promise to incorporate farmer knowledge. This paper introduces a social networks approach (SNA) to improve participatory research processes for co-innovation. Drawing upon findings from a collaborative project developing conservation agricultural production systems for smallholders in western Kenya and eastern Uganda, the paper explores farmer support networks to improve participation in technological innovation and development. Key research themes include: identifying farmers’ agricultural production networks; the local articulation of agricultural production networks and mindsets; using networks to facilitate meaningful participation in technology development; and disadvantages and advantages of using a social network approach. The introduction of SNA improved participatory research by building external and internal legitimacy for determining who participates, discouraging participatory attrition, and providing a meaningful forum for participation of all stakeholders. As a result, the introduction of SNA is demonstrated to show strong promise for improving processes of participatory technology development in agriculture.

Multiple Knowledges for Agricultural Production: Implications for the Development of Conservation Agriculture in Kenya and Uganda

Abstract Purpose This article investigates the extent of multiple knowledges among smallholders and connected non-farm agents around Mount Elgon in Kenya and Uganda in order to build the communicative competence needed to scale up conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS). Design/methodology/approach Our methodological approach examines local conditions through the analysis of farmers and non-farm agents’ perceptions of agricultural norms and practices or technological frames across four sites. Responses to a list of 20 questionnaire items characterizing three ideal types of technological frames (conservation agriculture, conventional modern agriculture, and risk averse agriculture) were analyzed through inter-group comparisons and multiple regression. Findings The findings indicate that there is a fundamental gap between the perspectives framing the knowledge of farmers and those of the service sector/community agents with respect to agricultural production norms and practices. Specifically, agricultural service providers and other community agents are significantly more supportive of conventional modern farming than farmers, and significantly less supportive of mixed crop and livestock farming; however, farmer perspectives also vary across sites. Practical implications Recognition of multiple knowledges, their relationship to agro-ecologies and the technological frame gap between farmers and non-farm agents is important for effectively negotiating dialog among farm and non-farm knowledge networks. Originality/value Our exploration of variation in local knowledges provides insights into how individual proclivities, adaptation to the agro-ecology, and a supporting set of network partners contribute to the mindset changes needed for establishing CAPS.

Rural Senegalese Perceptions of Environmental Quality

Differences in environmental perspectives between advanced industrial and developing country nationals has both practical and policy implications for the transfer of environmentally sound technologies. This paper characterizes rural Senegalese environmental perspectives in the context of competing environmental paradigms and of their historical development. Methodological issues concerning the adaptation of items from the “Health of the Planet Survey” (HOPS) questionnaire (Dunlap, Gallup, and Gallup, 1993) to rural Senegal are discussed and qualitative survey results presented. Based on a stratified national sample of rural Senegalese men and women, a quantitative analysis addresses the priority concerns of rural Senegalese men and women and how they perceive the trade off between environmental protection and economic development. The paper concludes that attempts to draw valid conclusions concerning comparisons between the environmental perspectives of the publics of advanced industrial and low income developing countries must take local conditions, their historical dynamics and cultural expressions into account.

Exploring the Meso-level of Agricultural Carbon Finance Projects

Agricultural carbon schemes are intended to mitigate climate change and provide carbon revenues while facilitating sustainable development. This is accomplished through practices which simultaneously increase yields, improve resilience, and store carbon, such as agroforestry, reduced tillage, and grasslands management. Proper monitoring, reporting, and verification of these activities enable the generation and sale of carbon credits. However, this requires linking smallholder farmers at the micro-level with carbon credit buyers operating at the macro-level. These vastly distinct scales are bridged by intermediaries operating at the meso-level, which influence, incentivize, monitor, and aggregate production decisions made by smallholders. Multiple levels of intermediaries may be involved, often including external initiating agencies, such as non-governmental organizations, as well as local-level units, such as farmer groups or local governance associations. Here, we frame evaluation of agricultural carbon schemes with this three-tiered approach, and describe parameters for appraising participation and power, as well as assessing financial feasibility, verifications and market linkages. This is applied to two case studies: The Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project and The Sofala Community Carbon Project.

Water quality concerns and the public policy context

National water quality concerns are creating momentum for legislation that takes a proactive stance toward agricultural practices involving agrichemicals. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency has asked the states to design appropriate non-point source pollution policies. This article examines the issues involved in two ways. First, it reviews the literature on previous conservation policies and discusses the implications for stricter regulation. Second, in order to determine the public opinion context for non-point source pollution policies, it examines the responses of a sample of Oklahoma rural leaders to a set of environmental, water quality, political, economic, and family farm orientation items developed in previous surveys. The analysis considers areas of agreement and disagreement related to socio-economic status, education, and extent of involvement in farming. It concludes that although Oklahomas rural leaders are concerned about water quality problems, an environmentally-sound formulation of rural values has yet to develop. The most serious obstacle appears to be the perceived threat of environmental regulations to the variability of production agriculture.