Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Communication plays a crucial role in the agricultural research and innovation process, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and ideas among various stakeholders, including researchers, farmers, policymakers, and industry representatives. Effective communication is essential for ensuring that research findings are disseminated, understood, and implemented to address key challenges in agriculture such as food security, sustainability, and adaptation to climate change. This paper examines the significance of communication in agricultural research and innovation, highlighting the key components of successful communication strategies in this context. The first key component is the involvement of diverse stakeholders in the communication process. Engaging with farmers, extension workers, government agencies, and private sector partners helps ensure that research outcomes are relevant, practical, and accessible to end-users. Effective communication also involves using a variety of channels and formats to reach different audiences, including workshops, field days, publications, social media, and traditional media outlets. Tailoring communication strategies to the specific needs and preferences of different stakeholders can enhance the impact and uptake of research findings. Another important aspect of communication in agricultural research and innovation is the role of partnerships and networks. Collaborating with other research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and industry partners can help leverage resources, expertise, and networks to promote knowledge sharing and technology transfer. Building strong relationships based on trust, mutual respect, and transparency is critical for fostering effective communication and collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Furthermore, effective communication in agricultural research and innovation requires clear and concise messaging that conveys complex scientific information in a manner that is understandable and actionable for non-expert audiences. Using plain language, visual aids, and storytelling techniques can help bridge the gap between researchers and end-users, enabling better decision-making and adoption of innovations. Additionally, monitoring and evaluation of communication efforts are essential to assess the impact, reach, and effectiveness of communication activities, enabling continuous improvement and learning. In conclusion, communication is a vital component of the agricultural research and innovation process, enabling knowledge exchange, collaboration, and technology transfer among diverse stakeholders. By engaging with stakeholders, using diverse communication channels, fostering partnerships, and delivering clear messages, researchers can enhance the impact and uptake of their work, ultimately contributing to sustainable agricultural development and food security.

Thesis Overview

1.0              Background to the study

In an article on sustainability and technology transfer, Richard Wilk (1995), an American anthropologist, mentioned a file folder of materials that he had accumulated over several years. The file contained 25 separate project proposals, feasibility studies, implementation plans, and project assessments. Submitted over a period of a century, all these studies considered commercializing the production of edible palm oil from a tree native to the Belizean rainforest. In each of these initiatives, imported cracking and rendering technologies developed for use in other tropical palm-oil industries were tried. Despite easy access to dense, high-yield tree stands, all these projects failed, even those with direct government subsidies. Throughout this period, household production of edible oil by indigenous people, using a variety of simple, local technologies, never stopped.

According to Grenier (1998), this story prompts several important questions: Did anyone bother to ask the local people who, how, where, when, and why of their local palm-oil production system? By learning about the local production system, could the proponents have avoided any of these costly failures? If the researchers had established joint ventures with the communities, could development objectives and sustainable-development goals have been served? If participatory technology-development techniques had been tried, could hybrid technologies (a combination of indigenous and foreign inputs) have yielded successful ventures? What would have been the outcome had any of these proponents worked with the indigenous people.