Agricultural Innovation cases in Kenya

This report on Agricultural Innovation cases in Kenya covers the first phase of the project which was the development of an inventory for each country that documents and describes examples of multi-stakeholder innovation processes that have relevance to smallholder agriculture. The inventory has sought to identify cases where local knowledge has made a contribution to the innovation process. The inventory has allowed for a broad understanding of innovation processes and their dynamics which will be explored in more detail through the next phase of the project, the collaborative assessment of three cases

Innovation cases in Kenya were identified through a number of different avenues. Discussions took place with possible case-holders to determine whether or not their cases would be relevant to Jolisaa.

The following criteria or guidelines were used for initially identifying cases for inclusion in the inventory : (1) Are they relevant to smallholders? (2) Do they show some level of novelty? (3) Are there multiple stakeholders?

The cases were only retained in the inventory if they met the following criteria: (1) experiences where at least 3 stakeholders had been actively involved (thus trying to avoid the many cases in which research entertains an exclusive relationship with a group of farmers), (2) experiences which were at least 3 years old (thus trying to target processes that were not in their infancy).

From the range of different cases explored up to this point, 18 cases in Kenya were finally selected.

The cases consist of: (a) Identification ; (b) The story line in a nutshell ; (c) The innovation context ; (d) Description ; (e) Main stakeholders involved and their roles in the innovation process ; (f) History / dynamics of the innovation process ; (g) Results & effects of the innovation process so far (adoption) ; (h) Main lessons in light of the JOLISAA goals and questions

Case Studies: 

1. Learning about management of prosopis in Baringo
2. Domestication and processing of wild Aloe (secundiflora and Turkanensis) in Baringo District
3. Participation of local communities in conservation of Arabuko Sokoke forest through butterfly farming
4. Production of contract seed maize production in the Perkerra irrigation scheme
5. Solving conflicts by managing water use through water resources users association on River Waseges Basin in Baringo
6. Private Public Partnership in the management of soil acidity in Western Kenya using lime
7. Public Private Partnership for commercial production of Gaddam sorghum in Makueni county,
Eastern Kenya
8. The introduction and cultivation of oil palm tree for income generation in Western Kenya
9. Institutional framework engaged by goat breeders associations in Kitui and Mwingi District
10. Improvement of farmer livelihoods through mango processing and marketing
11. Small input packs for promotion of yield enhancing inputs
12. Dairy milk production processing and marketing in Meru
13. Tissue culture bananas for small scale producers in Kenya
14. Finger millet seed saving and outscaling in Machakos district
15. Processing and cooling of milk through solar energy in the Kenyan South Coast
16. 'Jua Kali’ rice production and marketing outside the Mwea Irrigation Scheme
17. Ecological management of stem borer using pushpull technique in smallholder farms
18. Commercialization of grafting, pruning and spraying of Avocadoes and Mangoes

Related:
The 10th European IFSA Symposium, 1-4 July 2012 in Aarhus, DenmarkProducing and reproducing farming systems: New modes of organisation for sustainable food systems of tomorrow

Presentation of the paper:
What does an inventory of recent innovation  experiences tell us about agricultural innovation in Africa?
Bernard Triomphe, Anne Floquet, Geoffrey Kamau, Brigid Letty, Simplice Davo Vodouhe, Teresiah N’gan’ga, Henri Hocdé (July 2012, 10 pages)