Do farmer-actor interactions in the agricultural innovation system drive technological innovation adoption in Ghana?
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Date
2022
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development
Abstract
The low level of technological innovation adoption among farmers has been a development concern. However, not much
attention has been paid to how agricultural innovation system actors contribute to the adoption of technological
innovations among farmers. This paper, therefore, analyzed the factors that drive the adoption of technological
innovations using the agricultural innovation system concept. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach where
qualitative data from focus group discussions was used to triangulate findings obtained from the quantitative data
analyzed. A two-period panel data set of 3486 observations of randomly sampled agricultural households across Ghana
was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the multinomial logit regression model. Findings showed that farmers
with strong ties in the innovation system had a higher probability of adopting multiple sets of innovations, compared
to those with weaker linkages. Platforms that encourage actor interactions, such as innovation platforms, should be
strengthened to increase the innovative performance of smallholder farmers. This study is one of the few that has
quantified the effect the agricultural innovation system has on the adoption of innovations and hence makes a positive
contribution to the budding literature regarding the importance of unpacking actor interactions whilst considering a
holistic inquiry of the agricultural innovation system.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
agricultural innovation system, multiple innovations, adoption