The Diffusion of Innovations in Agriculture — Stakeholder Roles…

Outputs of Research and Development (R&D) are designed to raise Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in many ways. Productivity growth in agriculture is a driver of economic development and poverty reduction in low-income countries. Some of the lowest levels of agricultural land and labor productivity in the world are found in SSA. As a consequence, this region suffers from high rates of extreme poverty and food insecurity. The adoption and uptake of agricultural innovations by relevant stakeholders remains a challenge. While the region’s R&D entities have continued to play their roles to the extent possible, in putting out innovations, there appears to be a dis-connect – and that is — ensuring that R&D outputs reach the hands of the end-users… the farmers; and not remain on the shelves of institutions and laboratories.

Background Highlights, Decades after my Research:

  • In view of the inherent challenges, sector productivity in the sub-region  has been rising since the 1980s, though at a very  gradual pace.

  • Agricultural research, assisted by policy reforms that improved economic incentives to farmers, has contributed to spurring adoption of new/innovative technologies, representing  a key driver for increased productivity in the Sub-region’s agricultural sector.

  • Despite these gains, productivity growth continue to remain well below that of other developing countries who were also on the strive to rise; and thus, those formidable challenges which persisted, served to hinder the narrowing of intrinsic gaps.

  • AGRIFERT’s take: R&D outputs are meant to expand  innovation results and outcomes for greater impact on  end users.  It may be necessary  to contextualize or decipher  what those decades  (lost) of un-utilized research data would have done in effect if applied adequately to local circumstances?  It becomes of great necessity to keep food and agricultural policy in the center of the region’s productivity growth processes… but  no need to look back, it would be of greater significance to draw and apply lessons for the good of SSA’s future.    Donor coordination can’t be stressed enough as a missing piece.

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