Browsing by Author "Kansiime, Monica K."

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    Bringing sustainable agricultural intensification practices and technologies to scale through campaign-based extension approaches: lessons from Africa Soil Health Consortium
    (International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 2021) Kansiime, Monica K.; Njunge, Rahab; Okuku, Innocent; Edward, Baars; Alokit, Christine; Solomon, Duah; Gakuo, Stephanie; Karanja, Lucy; Mchana, Abigael; Mibei, Henry; Musebe, Richard; Dannie, Romney; Rware, Harrison; Silvestri, Silvia; Duncan, Sones; Watiti, James
    Sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) practices have been developed with the aim of increasing agricultural productivity. However, most of them are not achieving their potential because of low adoption, linked to limited extension support to make them known and accessible by end-users. This paper reviews the effectiveness of the Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) extension-based campaigns, contributing knowledge for formulating novel and cost-effective extension approaches. Results show that ASHC campaigns achieved scale of farmer reach and spurred adoption of promoted SAI technologies. Adoption levels for a range of practices were at least 20%, which favourably compares with reported adoption rates for the training and visit extension approach; 1-7% and 11-21% for complex and simple practices respectively. In comparison to a single channel, exposure to multiple communication approaches was associated with higher uptake of promoted practices and technologies, and also increased participation of men, women and youth, by addressing inherent differences in access to, proficiency with, and preferences of communication channels. Success factors associated with ASHC campaigns were; the deployment of multiple and complementary information channels; harnessing public-private partnerships to establish sustainable input supply chains; and development of localized content and fit-for-purpose information materials to facilitate information diffusion.
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    Challenges and Capacity Gaps in Smallholder Access to Digital Extension and Advisory Services in Kenya and Uganda
    (Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, 2022) Kansiime, Monica K.; Mugambi, Idah; Rware, Harrison; Alokit, Christine; Aliamo, Caroline; Zhang, Feng; Latzko, Jakob; Puyun, Yang; Karanja, Daniel; Dannie, Romney
    An assessment of the challenges and capacity gaps in smallholder access to digital extension and advisory services (EAS) was made by surveying 197 female and 239 male farmers in Kenya and Uganda. Non-digital extension approaches remain dominant but at least 78% of farmers accessed EAS from electronic sources dominated by radio. This is attributed to the fact that ownership of radios was more widespread than of other digital devices. Challenges that particularly limit the use of digital services included low digital literacy and prohibitive cost of internet and mobile devices. Female and elderly farmers were more likely to report these challenges than their counterparts. Logistic regression model results show that ownership of digital devices, participation in post-production activities, and access to extension were enablers of digital EAS use. Farmers mentioned gaps in obtaining information on crop pest/disease diagnosis and management, fertilizer application, pesticide safety and quality seed. Given the diversity in smallholder technological capabilities and information needs, the recommendations made include integration of digital communication within multimode advisory services that use different but linked communication channels, continued farmer digital innovation capacity enhancement, and participatory design approaches that deliver relevant and actionable information for inclusive scaling of extension activities.
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    Community-based adaptation for improved rural livelihoods: a case in eastern Uganda
    (Climate and Development, 2012) Kansiime, Monica K.
    Climate change adaptation is a priority and is fundamentally about sound and resilient development tailored to local conditions and needs. Several researchers have underscored the importance of community-based adaptation in achieving this. This article examines community-based approaches in order to build an understanding of community vulnerability to current and future climate risks in eastern Uganda. Primary data were collected at the community and household level applying participatory vulnerability and capacity assessment, in-depth household, and key informant interviews. Major climate risks in eastern Uganda that exacerbate community and household vulnerability are heavy and erratic rainfall leading to landslides in hilly areas and floods in low-lying areas, and droughts within the year and mid-season, affecting crop and livestock yields. Communities and households have innovative coping mechanisms based on past experiences, local knowledge and expertise albeit in an ad hoc manner. Household labour endowment, farm size, livestock ownership, access to weather information and credit positively and significantly affect the adoption of adaptation technologies by households. At community level, inherent knowledge and skills, and social and financial capital, play a critical role in shaping adaptation to climate risks. This study therefore strongly suggests that analyses of climate change impacts and design of adaptation projects should take into account community perspectives, knowledge and resources. Government and other stakeholders should identify and evaluate potential, location-specific adaptation measures, and incorporate them into the country's development policy and management practices particularly national development plan.
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    Evaluating gender differentials in farmers’ access to agricultural advice in Tanzania: An intra-household survey
    (2020-12) Kansiime, Monica K.; Macharia, Martin; Baars, Edward; Deogratias, F. Rutatora; Silvestri , Silvia; Njunge, Rahab
    The Gender and the Legume Alliance (GALA) project aimed to support smallholder farming households, especially women and youth, to achieve sustainable legume intensification and increase their participation in markets, by improving access to information and knowledge on farming techniques using multi-media communication approaches and input brokerage. This study provided baseline information aimed at understanding gender differentials in access to agricultural information, information sharing, and important channels for reaching men, women and youth farmers. Data were collected from 332 households (and 998 respondents) in five regions in Tanzania. An intra-household approach was used where up to four members, aged 15+ years old, per household were interviewed. Results show that farmers relied mainly on their own experience (67%), and on a limited array of sources of information represented mainly by extension agents, neighbours and radio. Men were more likely to receive information from radio while women relied on their own experience, and other household members for their information. There were significantly low proportions of young people and older people accessing information from all sources. Demonstration plots and agro-dealers were important information sources in promoting production inputs and more recently introduced practices (such as soil testing, use of inoculants and Purdue Improved Crop Storage [PICS] bags), while farmers’ experience was mainly important for traditional practices, for example early field operations. At least 82% of farmers shared information within their households or community, but primarily for traditional agricultural practices. Sharing information on new technologies such as Rhizobium inoculants, soil testing and PICS bags was minimal, representing practices that were least used by farmers due to limited awareness, limited access to inputs and high purchase costs. Overall, there is still margin for improving learning and knowledge of newly introduced practices and facilitating input brokerage to enhance access by farmers. Given the varied sources of information used by household members, enhancing information sharing through integrated gender programming is a key strategy.
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    Investigating the feasibility of developing a collective action for biological control of fall armyworm among smallholder farmers in rural communities of Zambia
    (CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, 2023) Léna, Durocher‑Granger; Sara, Fiorito; Mudenda, Sibajene Kambanja; Chiboola, Milimo Mildred; Kansiime, Monica K.; Ludwig, David; Leeuwis, Cees
    Background Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, an alien invasive pest from the Americas, was detected in Zambia late 2016 and since has caused significant losses on maize threatening livelihood and food security. Individually, farmers continue to rely on synthetic pesticides, a reactive measure to manage new invasive insect pests, posing risks to human health, the environment and biodiversity. Biological control has been proven to be an efficient, cost effective and safe method for pest and disease management, and when adopted collectively, its effectiveness can increase. In addition, collective action has been acknowledged to be a critical component for invasive species management, but is still poorly studied in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where the national plant health system, in-place to prevent and manage biological invasions, is limited. Methods To study the feasibility of creating a collective action to promote biological control for fall armyworm among smallholder farmers in rural Zambia and the social and institutional conditions needed for it to be successful and sustainable, we conducted focus group discussions and in-depth interviews in two districts with maize smallholder farmers. Our model to assess the results applies both Ostrom’s 8 Design Principles for a community-based management of common-pool resources and criteria of an agricultural innovation that meet the community’s requirements, and also pays attention to the exchange and brokering processes needed to match the two. Results Our results showed that some conditions are already in place to support a collective action to manage fall armyworm such as matching rules to local conditions, collective-choice arrangement, conflict-resolution mechanism and minimal recognition of rights to organize which are supported by traditional leadership of the communities. However other conditions would need to be strengthened for the collective pest management to be sustainable. The most important criteria for a pest management innovation selected by participants from both districts, in no specific order, were price, efficacy, recommended by agrodealer/extension officer and immediate action. Conclusions This study fills a gap in understanding social and institutional conditions in LMIC needed to sustain a collective action that aim at controlling a highly mobile and invasive pest. Our study emphasizes the need to redefine technologies and dissemination in terms of supporting the processes of co-designing innovation based on social and ecological conditions.