Paul Kibwika

Competence Challenges of Demand-Led Agricultural Research and Extension in Uganda.

Abstract Abstract Governments and development agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa are experimenting alternative approaches within the innovation systems paradigm to enhance relevance of agricultural research and extension to the poverty eradication agenda. Uganda, for example, has recently shifted from the supply driven to demand-led agricultural research and extension. This paper discusses the competence challenges associated with this shift based on experiences from a capacity building initiative for a demand-led agricultural research system and a synthesis of experiences in a demand-led extension. Consequently, key competences for the supply and demand sides are suggested. For a demand-led system to work, the supply side will have to be able to facilitate action learning and experimentation; broker information and knowledge exchange; develop and support empowerment of local organisations; think systemically; develop teams and work in teams; develop and manage partnerships and enhance enterprise development. The demand side too will have to be able to self-organise; lobby, advocate and negotiate; have visionary and accountable leadership; learn and experiment; and have entrepreneurial abilities. While in the short-term service providers have to be assisted to acquire these competences, the meta-challenge lies in a long-term strategy to integrate them in the training of professionals working in the value chain.

Empowering farmers to learn and innovate through integration of video-mediated and face-to-face extension approaches: The case of rice farmers in Uganda

Abstract Agricultural extension is perceived as the primary mechanism through which farmers expand their ability to adopt and adapt new technologies and ideas. The use of Information and Communication Technology like videos in extension is being fronted as an alternative to the conventional Face-to-face extension approach (F2FEA). A comparison of effectiveness of the Video-mediated extension approach (VMEA) and F2FEA among rice farmers in two districts of Uganda challenges the independent use of the two approaches. A cross-sectional survey of two non-equivalent groups subjected to VMEA in Kamwenge and F2FEA in Hoima districts was conducted with 196 farmers. The results indicate greater potential for integration of VMEA and F2FEA as the two are complementary in the various stages of the farmer learning framework developed. VMEA is significantly better in awareness creation and sharing of knowledge and experiences while the F2FEA is significantly better at enhancing knowledge acquisition and retention and application. The relative strengths of VMEA and F2FEA can best be harnessed through integration of the approaches. The integration will not solve the problem of large farmer to extension ratio common in developing countries but will rather make the extension workers more effective. The integration however calls for rethinking of institutional arrangement, roles of the extension worker, and pragmatic retooling of the extension worker to embrace social learning principles that empower farmers to be more self-directed learners and innovators.

Determinants of sustainable innovation performance by smallholder dairy farmers in Malawi

Abstract The smallholder dairy farmer’s performance and ability to improve productivity for increased incomes, is driven by their level of innovativeness. Knowledge on the nature, degree and frequency of innovations provide opportunities for supporting the competitive advantages of smallholder dairy farmers to sustainably break away from the poverty cycle. Little attention has been given to measuring the performance and drivers of innovation for improvement of smallholder dairying in Malawi. Without understanding innovation, it is difficult to make policies and provide targeted, impactful support to smallholder farmers. This study is based on a cross sectional survey of 193 smallholder farmers in Lilongwe and Blantyre milk shed areas of Malawi. Innovation indices were computed to measure the innovation performance and further analysed to determine the drivers and barriers of innovations. Four categories of innovations namely; feeding, breeding, market, and animal health innovations are presented. The innovation index for the smallholder farmers was less than half (0.37) which is relatively lower in comparison to developed industries. The key driver was access to credit along with training, access to information and networking. For efficient and sustainable management of innovations, clear policies should be put in place to ensure formal structures for supporting continuity of innovations through enhancements in social networking among the farmers and cost effective mechanisms for accessing quality inputs.

Partnership construction and value co-creation to address voids in rice production: The case of rice value chains in Uganda

Abstract Since the establishment of One Stop Center Farmer Associations (OSCAs) in Uganda 13 years ago, no documentation of the work done had been carried out. This study was conducted on the partnership and value co-creation initiatives implemented by two OSCAs in the rice value chain in Luwero and Bugiri districts, Uganda. The methodology used involved use of semi structured interviews and check lists for focus group discussions as well as key informant interviews. Eight focus group interviews were conducted, with an average attendance of six members per group (48 members) in Bugiri and 48 members in Luwero district. Interviews were also conducted for 44 key informants. A total of 140 respondents were interviewed both in the focus group discussions and as key informants. The information was analyzed with NVIVO software. Findings indicate that partnership construction and value co-creation occurred in the OSCA value chains, but have not yet reached the ideal status, although they have advanced through the stages of development. There is an increased number of actors with vast interests interacting with the OSCAs for value co-creation. However, the cooperative co-creation of value along the chain requires a focus on achieving all actor value propositions as well as optimal outcomes for all. The study, therefore, recommends that in the process of constructing partnerships and co-creation, it is necessary to be aware of differences in each actor’s views, motivations, and ways of working. This will lead to complementing each other through realizing and accepting differences to make the partnerships work.

How farmer videos trigger social learning to enhance innovation among smallholder rice farmers in Uganda

Abstract Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools such as videos promoted to enhance farmer access to information to influence change in farming practices need to be situated in social learning processes. Farmers learn and innovate through social learning characterized by exchanges amongst farmers to contextualize knowledge and adapt technologies for relevance. This study assessed how a video-mediated extension approach (VMEA) triggers social learning to enhance innovation among rice farmers in Uganda using experiences of a Non-Government Organization, Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 farmers subjected to VMEA by SC 2000 in Kamwenge district. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), field observations and key informant interviews were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. Results indicate that inherently, videos trigger conversational exchange between farmers including those who do not watch the videos. These interactions enable collective reflection, evaluation and validation of knowledge, which in turn motivate experimentation. In this study, videos significantly enhanced awareness, knowledge acquisition, uptake of technologies and innovation among rice farmers. However, the potential of videos in influencing farmer knowledge and behavioral change can be further exploited if the users can produce contextualized videos of farmer practices and innovations for dissemination. Among other things, effective use of videos in extension requires excellent skills in facilitating social learning processes; and video documentation of farmer practices and innovations to aid scaling up and deepening learning.

Intra-household gender division of labour and decision-making on rice postharvest handling practices: A case of Eastern Uganda

Abstract Gains in increasing productivity of grain in Sub-Saharan Africa are greatly undermined by the high postharvest losses (PHLs), which compromise the food and income security of households. Rice is one such important food and cash crop experiencing high PHLs. Given the limited mechanization of smallholder farms, PHLs result from practices influenced by knowledge, decision-making power in the household and cultural norms. Gender is an important consideration in the interaction of these factors especially for a duo purpose crop like rice serving both food and income security interests of households. A descriptive cross-sectional survey informed by qualitative focus group discussions was conducted in two major rice producing districts in Eastern Uganda to establish how gender division of labour and decision-making influence PHLs at the household level. The intra-household gender structure, division of labour and decision-making determine the postharvest loses of rice at the household level. Men and boys perform the labour intensive postharvest activities where postharvest losses are high. They also dominate decisions on the practices and technologies used. Due to labour intensity and cultural norms, households without men rely on hired labour, which increases their PHLs resulting from late access to and inadequate supervision of the hired labour. Interventions for reduction of PHLs at the household level must target men with better practices and simple cost-effective technologies.

Positioning smallholder farmers in the dairy innovation system in Malawi A perspective of actors and their roles

The preference of an innovation systems approach to development is based on its inclusiveness and the interactions of actors to co-influence each other, to learn and innovate and to bring about tangible benefits. As more actors with diverse interests engage, the innovation system becomes more complex and actors with higher influence power are likely to benefit more. Smallholder farmers in developing countries are the core actors of an agricultural innovation system, but their ability to influence other actors to maximize their benefits is questionable. This article applies a historical analysis of the progressive development and complexity of Malawi’s diary innovation system through phased emphasis on technological, organizational and institutional development to illustrate the centrality of smallholder dairy farmers in the innovation system. A social network analysis is applied to assess the influence of smallholder farmers on other actors. The existence and growth of the diary innovation system in Malawi is founded on the resilience of smallholder dairy farmers to produce milk. Whereas the smallholder farmers are the most connected in terms of interaction, they have the least influence on other actors in the innovation system. To take advantage of their central position to maximize benefits, smallholder farmers can only rely on their collective power to influence others. Organizing farmers in groups and associations is a step in the right direction but deliberate interventions by innovation brokers as intermediaries need to focus on empowering these groups.

Does the Implementation of Social Safety Net Intervention Affect Indigenous Social Capital Systems for Coping with Livelihood Shocks? Ethnographic Evidence of Agro-pastoral Communities in Eastern Ethiopia

Adverse events or shocks that trigger a decline in household welfare and consumption remain to be the main causes of household vulnerability among rural households in Ethiopia. The government of Ethiopia has been trying to reduce this vulnerability and improve the resilience of the affected households through a targeted social safety net program. However, the interaction of this program with existing indigenous mutual support system is not clear, as formal efforts are not often considerate of informal arrangements. This study examined the effect of a social safety net program on local level social capital. The key questions guiding this study was: how do mutual support arrangements enhance or constrain the household’s abilities to participate, invest, reciprocate, and cooperate in mutual support networks to cope with shocks in the study communities and with what outcomes? This was mainly studied using ethnographic research design. The study was conducted in two neighborhood areas that are currently receiving formal safety net. Data were collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with 30 households and a household survey interviews with 70 households that are distributed in three major categories: beneficiaries, non-beneficiaries, and graduates of PSNP. In addition, 35 key informant interviews were conducted with mutual support group leaders and local elders. The key findings provide evidence suggesting that household’s willingness to reciprocate and cooperate in informal networks for coping with shocks seem to decline in the research site where safety net program was identified with poor targeting performance. This might be an indication that the mechanisms by which informal arrangements can be crowded out by a public safety net may depend on how well safety net is targeted and by the specific institutional and implementation practices that underpin safety net. The study recommends that better community targeting must take the precedence. While the development and provision of formal safety nets is vital in improving the risk coping and adaptation capacity of the poor, it should not result in crowding out of preexisting informal safety nets. The key question for any further insurance provision should be how it should build on existing social capital system.

Actor Diversity and Interactions in the Development of Banana Hybrid Varieties in Uganda: Implications for Technology Uptake.

ABSTRACT Purpose: We examine the nature of networks through which new hybrid banana varieties (HBVs) in Uganda are developed, and how different actors engage in the technology development process. Design/methodology/approach: We collected the data through 20 key informant interviews and 5 focus group discussions with actors involved in the process. We analysed the data with NVivo and Social Network Analysis software. Findings: The process of developing HBVs involves many actors with a diversity of roles and interests. The network density was 29.4, implying existence of only 29.4% of the possible direct linkages. Strong ties mainly existed among research-oriented actors, with other actors in the periphery. Practical implications: The current position of smallholder farmers and other non-research actors inhibits their influence on decisions in the technology development process. We recommend that smallholder farmers should be empowered through better organization so that they can influence the process of developing HBVs. Researchers, supported with appropriate policies, should engage more with actors in the intermediary, enterprise and support service domains for a more vibrant agricultural research system. Theoretical implications: Application of the systems approach to technology development requires a dynamic process that supports involvement of a diverse range of actors. However, close attention to context is important in dealing with issues of power asymmetries and determining to what extent various actors engage in the process. Originality/value: This work contributes to literature on systems approaches to agricultural and rural development. The paper demonstrates that actor diversity and interactions are critical in technology development and uptake.

Harnessing Social Capital for Resilience to Livelihood Shocks: Ethnographic Evidence of Indigenous Mutual Support Practices among Rural Households in Eastern Ethiopia

In the absence of adequate support from formal social safety nets, rural households in Ethiopia have developed collective risk-sharing strategies to buffer them against adverse livelihood shocks, thus building their resilience capacities. Social capital and network based indigenous mutual support arrangements are the most important strategies that are institutionalized and widely practiced among rural households for centuries in Ethiopia to support households to cope with shocks. Nonetheless, resilience research and rural poverty alleviation policies have yet to fully recognize and embrace social capital as a tool to tackle poverty and vulnerability. Robust policy and academic studies on the role of indigenous welfare system with implications for social development policy making in Ethiopia are lacking. Using ethnographic techniques and simple descriptive statistics, we studied indigenous mutual support systems and how they shape the resilience trajectories of rural households against livelihood shocks within two selected PAs of Babille district of Oromia region. We found that mutual support practices are very effective in building coping resilience of households by smoothing consumption shocks. However, the traditional coping mechanisms often fail when the shock is systemic or covariate, when shocks last longer, and when a household has low level of human or finical capital.