Thesis Abstract

Communication plays a critical role in the agricultural research and innovation process, facilitating the flow of knowledge, ideas, and information among various stakeholders. Effective communication strategies are essential for promoting collaboration, sharing research findings, and fostering innovation in the agricultural sector. This study explores the importance of communication in agricultural research and innovation and examines the various communication channels and tools that can be utilized to enhance knowledge exchange and collaboration. The agricultural research and innovation process involves a wide range of actors, including researchers, extension agents, policymakers, farmers, and industry stakeholders. Clear and effective communication is essential for ensuring that research outcomes are disseminated to relevant stakeholders in a timely and accessible manner. By using a variety of communication channels, such as workshops, conferences, publications, and digital platforms, researchers can reach a diverse audience and engage stakeholders in meaningful discussions about research findings and their implications for the agricultural sector. Furthermore, communication plays a crucial role in promoting collaboration and partnerships among different actors in the agricultural research and innovation process. By fostering open and transparent communication channels, researchers can build trust and relationships with stakeholders, leading to greater knowledge exchange and cooperation. Collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders is essential for driving innovation in the agricultural sector and addressing complex challenges such as climate change, food security, and sustainable agriculture. In addition to traditional communication channels, digital tools and technologies have become increasingly important for enhancing communication in agricultural research and innovation. Social media platforms, online forums, and mobile applications provide new opportunities for researchers to engage with stakeholders, share research findings, and gather feedback in real-time. These digital tools can help researchers reach a broader audience, facilitate virtual collaborations, and enhance the visibility and impact of their research. Overall, effective communication is essential for promoting knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation in the agricultural research process. By utilizing a variety of communication channels and tools, researchers can engage stakeholders, disseminate research findings, and build partnerships that drive positive change in the agricultural sector. Embracing innovative communication strategies can help overcome barriers to information sharing and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation in agriculture.

Thesis Overview

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

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.