Adoption of Agricultural Innovations - Coursework Example

Adoption of Agricultural Innovations Part A Agriculture is the only means through which food is made available to people. In every economy food security is a major concern. Investing in agriculture has taken a good proportion of financial resources of many countries in the world. When citizens of a country have enough food to eat, it becomes easy to deal with other social problems. It has been observed in the past that a hungry person is an angry person. A country’s government can be well rated on its performance based on how well it has fed its people. Since it is such vital, there are countries which invest heavily in food production so that they can have enough for the country and surplus to export to other hungry nations. It is difficult for agricultural products to lack a market. In that way then, agriculture becomes an asset in earning foreign exchange to a country (John, 2001). Research in food production is a tool that many governments and multinational organizations use to ensure that innovative methods of farming and food storage, processing are devised in order to make sure that the country’s population has enough food and for disadvantaged people in various countries in the world. There is no country which is willing to be left behind when others are moving ahead with better means of food production. In some countries training of members of staff in agricultural sectors is given priority so that they can lead their nations in maximum production of food to satisfy the needs of a country’s population. Research in agriculture has several dimensions. Some agricultural specialists focus on the means of production, others on farm inputs, methods of farming among other areas. This can be seen n the wide range of agricultural options available for students in institutions of higher learning in various countries. All these have been made necessary due to the wide nature of food production and the increased population in the world that makes traditional means of food production unsatisfactory. There is so much knowledge generated across these many sub disciplines in Agriculture making it very necessary for the creation of programs which can translate these into practical use. Agricultural extension programs are implemented for the sole of purpose of reaching farmers of all kinds of foods with innovative approaches to increase production using their present size of farms (Hudu, 2010). Agricultural extension is a term that can have different meanings depending on the context it is being used. In general the term refers to the process of transferring theoretical knowledge of best practices in agriculture to actual implementation in the farm. It is a continuous process due to the dynamic nature of research which keeps on giving new evidence in regards appropriateness of farm inputs and farming approached in contributing to food security. This program helps farmers to access information on latest innovations in farming, ensure that the farmers have understood the information in such a manner that they can translate it into action, and follow up on those farmers to advice on the challenges they encounter in the process of implementing the new approaches or using the new farm inputs like seeds and fertilizers. It is important that extension officers continue with timely collection of information on the uptake of the new approaches in order to advice on the best way forward to ensure that resources invested in agriculture are not wasted. Lack of information has made it very difficult to evaluate the appropriateness of many programs. If a program cannot be evaluated there is lack of evidence to convince people as to whether they should implement it or not. While government invests in agriculture, there are many other people who solely depend on agriculture for a living. They invest their time and resources in inputs and labor to ensure that they are able to produce enough to use and surplus to sale to provide for other needs they might be having. It is therefore important that the work of extension workers be monitored well to ensure that farmers get timely information to help them secure high yields from their investment (Hudu, 2010). Agricultural extension is concerned with three main things. Obtaining information and knowledge on latest technology in farming, availability of farm inputs which are appropriate for local farm conditions, and dissemination of that information is the first priority. Secondly, the program must ensure that farmers put the skills and knowledge disseminated into action. This is the core of any extension programs that heavily determines its success or failure. It is the only measurable outcome of extension programs. Training must be provided to extension workers from time to time to ensure that they are informed on latest approaches to ensure behavior change (John, 2008). Ensuring that the new methods have direct benefits to the people at the local level and sustainability of such programs is also a major component of extension. This could demand that you become available to address the daily concerns which people have as they implement new technology. The most important aspect of agricultural extension is its behavioral component. Information is provided in order to ensure a particular desirable outcome seen in farmers implementing what they have learnt. The role of extension workers extends beyond using good methods of teaching to ensuring the desirable behavior is achieved. It can then be said successful extension programs must invest in trainings on behavior change and communication, an approach that has extensively been used in promotion of health programs like HIV prevention. The high rate of success at which the fight against HIV has been won is undoubtful evidence for the appropriateness of this approach. Agricultural extension officers must admit that any practice among people usually has deep roots in the culture and beliefs of these people. Therefore to succeed in changing human behavior which in many cases is very complex since it has been practiced for many generations, good understanding of behavioral science is necessary. Innovative methods of farming, highly resistant seeds, and very nutritious fertilizers alone cannot lead to high productions. These must be incorporated with approaches to train people in the need to adopt these new approaches and abandon the old traditional farming methods. Unless people are convinced on the need to change, they will revert to their old habits of farming. It takes so much time and effort for complete transformation of the agricultural practices of the people to take place. There is need for patience in carrying out the trainings. People learn at various speeds. So it is their understanding. These are behavioral components in which the success of any extension program must depend for success to be assured (Hudu, 2010). When dealing with people, it must always be remembered that people have their own culture which influences everything or most of the things they do and the manner in which they do them. This must be understood for it is the key to unlock their acceptance of innovation. Even before people are called to be taught in new agricultural methods, it shouldn’t be a priority. It is important first, the people to be studied first and ensure a thorough understanding of their priorities in order for them to be convinced to take the new approach. What has been the past reaction of these people to new approaches of farming? Who is most influential among them such if he speaks the whole community will take up an innovation? How big are their farms? Which other socio-economic activities these people engage in for a living? These are some of the questions which must be addressed through baseline assessment before the actual implementation of the program (FAO, 1997. There are inherent factors which determine the success of any program well embedded in a society which can only be understood through close interaction with people in these communities. These are important and must be considered by the extension officers who come into the community as a change agent. There are some communities who practice farming methods which may seem so old and unnecessary to you. Understand it first, come down to their level, then step by step bring them up through slight modification of their methods, until total transformation will occur at last. This may not be a very interesting process to you who knows what is good and should be done by any rational being, but it still remains the only way to ensure that skills are imparted, practice is secured and the objectives of the extension program achieved (Hudu, 2010). Agricultural extension work should be considered as a form of adult education with a practical objective of dealing with daily problems and concerns farmers encounter in their daily routines of farm activities. People must be met and addressed at their point of felt needs. Solutions to their present problems need to be given. Anything that cannot solve the now needs of people is irrelevant and cannot have priority among these people. It must be associated with making their lives better. Respect between the rural people and extension workers is important for cooperation from the people. Extension workers as teachers must be up to date on the subject matter that is to be implemented. This could involve use of resource persons in the subject matter, in service training, attending seminar and conferences, among other forums. They should also be well informed on appropriate communication and teaching approaches which will be appropriate for the audience to be addressed. When dealing with adults, it’s important that the extension worker show them that he is capable of performing demonstrations; show interest in the people and their families not just n passing some pieces of information he has been sent to deliver. Promises must always be fulfilled exactly as given. He or she should be capable of establishing social relationship with the people they train (Fao, 1997). Problems have been encountered in the implementation of extension programs in the world. Population growth has been so fast in some countries making the available land for farming reduce drastically. Poor finances make it difficult for governments to employ more extension workers making the ratio between extension workers and people to be served so small. This makes it difficult for the extension workers to be able to impart skills to the people and carry out necessary supervision to ensure implementation has been done. After training of people in public gatherings, there is usually no follow up. This becomes wasted efforts as farmers revert to their earlier methods of farming since they do not anybody to address their daily concerns. Sometimes extension workers communicate wrong or inappropriate information to the people. When people realize that what you taught them has gaps and can be challenged they lose their confidence in you, and might not want to associate with you. This creates room for creation of myths concerning extension programs making it difficult for future efforts to succeed. That is the reason why carrying out a baseline assessment before implementing a new program is critical to ensure that past mistakes and concerns are addressed, thus paving way for high uptake of new approaches. An extension can suffer a strong blow if the extension officers do not have the skills they promote. Farmers will always challenge you to demonstrate whatever you are training them on. Farmers would learn best when the extension workers have demonstration farms within reach of these farmers where they can come for learning. These gardens must be well planned in a practical way for every farmer to be able to do it at home. Support services in terms of financial assistance, farm inputs provisions and loaning on tools for farming can make a program succeed among poor people in the community. With proper follow ups, it is possible for to get back the money invested and leave enough to use and sell for the farmer. Market creation for farm products should also be considered. It becomes discouraging for farmers after being told that the produce will enable them improve their living standards only to lack markets for their products in the long run (Hudu, 2010). Part B Write two case studies that assess the pathway from development to adoption of two different agricultural practices or innovations - one with widespread adoption and one with limited uptake. You should explain the different outcomes in terms of the attributes of the innovations, the types of producers that adopted or did not adopt and the roles of the extension models implemented. You should personalize your case studies by talking to one or many producers that have chosen to adopt or not adopt and gather their perspective on their decisions. Case 1: Case Study on ICTs Use in Agricultural Extension in Trinidad & Tobago Agricultural extension services in Trinidad are widely offered by the Ministries of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources. The ministry has not used radio and videos in extension services. The ministry is working had to purchase and install ICT systems as other departments have done. Experts have been contracted to help in designing of the ministry’s website. All county offices have been provided with computers to enhance communication among the staff members of the ministry at different levels. While it is important to implement ICT as innovative methods of communication, it is equally important to ensure that old technological advantages like radio and video are not thrown away altogether. Input supply chain companies have continued to use radios to inform farmers of the new products in the market to improve production. The programs deal with seeds, fertilizers and pest control chemicals. Local radio have allowed talk radio programs where employees from the ministry of Agriculture and their partners from the private sector have a chance to explain certain things which are of concern to farmers based on field experiences of extension workers. Time is also given for people to call and ask questions or seek clarification (Joseph 2003). For a long time the ministry has not used radio program and televisions in public teaching of farmers on latest methods of farming. In the past when the ministry was airing programs on Television and Radios by contracting media houses, especially broadcasting key messages at prime times of the day when most of the people are watching or listening, there was so much success. A survey which was done some three months after the program had been stopped revealed that most of the farmers were implementing the methods of farming they had heard via TV and radios through the program. Although they were only implementing the program at small scales, they opted to do that for testing purposes since the methods were new to them. In the future depending on the outcome of such projects, they will expand them over all their farm areas. Some of the farmers were having so many questions to ask based on their experiences with the new technologies but these questions could not be answered since the program had long gone. Survey has further indicated that there is a high interest for technology among people. There are several who have acquired computers particularly for use in reading and accessing information on how they can improve their farming strategies. Majority of the people are so much interested in the government’s new program of educating the public on ICT especially computers and the use of internet. The ministry of agriculture and private partners in agriculture should not downscale the use of ICT and mass media in promoting farming innovations. The timing of these programs determines how many people are reached and hence the adoption of the same programs. Case 2: Agricultural Research Committees: Extension Through Farmer Research A local agricultural committee is made up of individuals drawn from a community where a given activity is to be implemented. Their work is to carry out experiment so that they can help in giving practical experiences to their communities. They come together to carry out experimentation as per instructions given from agricultural research experts, they disseminate lessons learnt to their communities. At the same time the costs incurred are shared among the group members. These groups are formed based on their interest in a particular problem in the community or a farming technology they have heard about and are keen enough to implement it to see whether what they were told can be practical. They do small experiments to avoid very big losses due to experimental errors. They repeat a successful trial three times and if the initial results are replicated, they recommend it for wider application among people in the communities they can influence. This method was developing in 1990 by a team of scientists at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. It came due to concerns as to why farmers from poor settings were not implementing innovative farming methods which were developed and advocated by formal research sector. After some research they realized farmers needed to be involved in initial stages of research so that the technologies which come as a result would be owned and implemented easily. The team agreed that the best way is to facilitate interest among communities so that they can take the innovation up and begin doing their own experimentations from where the formal research sector can learn on their findings and provide solutions which can be appropriate to the identified community needs (Carlos et al, 2004). After it had been implemented in 68 locations, it was realized that the rate of adoption of technology had grown so fast; people had learnt skills which would help them in their farming lives and linkages were developed to socially support each other; and the general welfare of people where these program was implemented had improved. These committees encouraged participation of women in research, something which had not happened before in these communities helping women to realize their unused potential in helping their communities. Some women have extended the knowledge gained from this approach and have set their own committees which are exclusively composed of women in order to experiment on their issues. This way, financial supports which come from this research have improved the living standards of these women. This approach’s success is due to community involvement at problem identification, priority setting and implementation of the suggested solution. These factors increase ownership and sustainability of innovations. References Joseph, Seepersad, “Case Study on ICTs Use in Agricultural Extension in Trinidad & Tobago,” University of West Indies.2003. http://db.natlaw.com/interam/tr/ag/sp/sptrag00001.pdf John, Ikerd, “The Agricultural Extension System and the “New American Farmer”: The Opportunities Have Never Been Greater,” National Association of County Agriculture Agents Conference, Greensboro, NC. July 17, 2008. Hudu, Z, “Introduction to Agricultural Extension”, University for Development Studies, faculty of Agriculture Publication. (2010). http://www.academia.edu/1363062/ARG_102_INTRODUCTION_TO_AGRICULTURA L_EXTENSION Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Improving Agricultural Extension: A reference Manual. 1997Editors Burton E. Swanson, Robert P. Bentz, Andrew J. Sofranko. http://www.fao.org/docrep/W5830E/w5830e00.htm N. L. McCaslin, Jovan P. Tibezinda, Chapter 5 Assessing Target Group Needs. In FAO 1997. Burton E. Swanson, 2008 Global Review of Good Agricultural Extension and Advisory Service Practices. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0261e/i0261e00.pdf John. D, M. Don Vernon, Ken I. Fishpool. 2001 Agricultural Extension Policy in Australia: Public Funding and Market Failure. The Australian Journal of Agricultural Resources and Resource Economics, 44:4, pp 629 -645. http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/117855/2/1467-8489.00127.pdf Carlos, Arturo, Quirós, Torres, Boru, Douthwaite, José, Ignacio Roa, Velasco, and Jacqueline, Ashby Colombia, (2004). “Latin America and the Spread of Local Agricultural Research Committees (CIALS): Extension through Farmer Research”, in Volume 3. Demand-Driven Approaches to Agriculture Extension Case Studies of International Initiatives, pg 10 – 13 Read More