1. From the Lab to farm to Fork
Bridging the gap between technology generation and practice
Presented at Conference on Closing the Gaps in Agriculture Research in Kenya
13th September 2018
ICRAF, Nairobi
Paul Guthiga,
Senior Policy Analyst, ReSAKSS-ECA/ILRI
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2. Status of technology supply vs demand
Supply side
Evidence show many technologies and innovations developed & some made available to farmers
Demand side
Low adoption rates
Increasing supply of new technologies has not met increasing acceptance by end-users

3. Why low effective demand?
It implies one or all of the following about the technologies:
Does not reach the end users
Is not affordable by them
Has not proven profitable for them
In this presentation the focus is primarily on reason no. 1

4. Extension as a bridge (1)
Bridging the technology generation and practice requires an effective extension linkage
Agricultural research & extension have complementary roles;
Research-generating knowledge/technology/innovation and
Extension-transferring it to end users
The extension service is a catalyst required transfer research products to farmers & other end-users
Extension also provide feed back-loop between researcher and farmers

5. Extension as a bridge (2)
Assumptions:
Research is based on farmers’ needs
Technologies address farmers need and they are able to adopt and use them

6. Extension as a bridge (3)
How should research institutions formulate research agendas and to set priorities? Based on;
The needs & requirements of farmers (relevance) &
Tailored to their socio-economic & ecological environment
Extension should be effective in reaching farmers and addressing their needs. How?
Creating an effective link to research
Strengthening and facilitating it to reach end-users
Required ratio of extension to farmers is 1:400 currently is 1:1,000

7. Extension approaches in Kenya- Historical perspectives (1)
Period
Approach
Colonial
Dual system;
System 1; for settler commercial farmers (Educational + incentives)
System 2; for small-scale Indigenous farmers-Coercive ’s
Conventional (persuasive & educational)
Public extension staff to sub-location/village levels
1980s-1990’s
Training and Visit (T&V) &
Commodity specialized approaches
Overall assessment
Costly; high demand for man-power, time and financial resources
Top-down
Lack of client/farmers participation to articulate demand

8. Extension approaches in Kenya- Historical perspectives (2)
Period
Approach
2000’s
NALEP; More participatory but less coverage
Emergence of private and commercial players (pluralistic extension system)
Post 2013
(Devolution era)
Devolution of provision of extension services to County governments
Each county sets it own extension agenda & linkages with research if any

9. Challenges with research-extension linkage (2)
Insufficient liaison and consultations between research, extension service and the end-users
Inadequate resources for field testing and dissemination
Limited awareness on new technologies among extension staff
Inadequate extension staffing & field mobility problems
Ratio of frontline extension worker to farmers is about 1:1000 compared to the desired level of 1:400.
Weak monitoring, evaluation and learning systems
linkage

10. Challenges with research-extension linkage (2)
Inadequate public funding; Agriculture is allocated an average of 3% ( ) against Malabo target of 10%

11. Way forward (short term)
Technologies/innovations and knowledge is scattered among institutions/individual researchers; need to create a centralized catalogue for ease of access (AIRC/State Dept of Ag. Research?)
Package them in an appropriate form, develop innovative strategies for disseminating them through the existing extension systems
Leverage on ICT (majority of farmers have mobile phones)

12. Way forward (medium to long term)
Strengthen consultative research-extension agenda setting process
Increase public spending in priority areas in agriculture including research and extension
Integrate private sector for up-scaling of technologies
Align research-extension linkages to be better attuned with devolution
Address the farm-level, institutional and policy barriers to adoption
Fully implement the existing policies and guidelines
National Agricultural Research System Policy
National Agriculture Sector Extension Policy (NASEP)
Guidelines and standards for agricultural extension & advisory services (2017)

14. Thank you all for listening!