More than what meets the eye: Factors and processes that shape the design and use of digital agricultural advisory and decision support in Africa

Mariette McCampell

Research output: Thesisinternal PhD, WU

Abstract

The global availability of (low-cost) digital technologies and services have made digital innovation a key goal and investment theme in the agricultural sector, including in Africa. For this Global South context, there is keen hope that longstanding, complex problems in the agricultural sector, like market access, information provision and knowledge sharing, and monitoring of pest and diseases, can be addressed with the aid of digital technologies.

In the past, the introduction of new, modern technologies in smallholder farming communities often failed. Designed in and for rich, western countries, the technologies did not fit the needs, capacity, and life-world of African smallholder farmers. Participatory approaches are an increasingly popular response to this problem. Participatory design means that a product is developed together with users and other stakeholders. To date, the participatory design approach is widely but somewhat uncritically adopted for designing digital agriculture technologies and services. It is thereby assumed that this approach leads to designs that fit the needs and demands of users.

In practice we still know very little about the process through which digital agriculture services are designed and the complex and uncertain circumstances wherein design decisions are made. We also have limited understanding about the role that design plays in determining the societal consequence of digitalization and who is, ultimately, affected and in what way (positive or negative).

This PhD research contributes to these research gaps by developing understanding about the factors and processes that determine the design and use of digital innovations that are created to address complex agricultural problems. It does this by studying how digital agriculture apps are designed, by whom, with what objectives, and what outcomes and consequences. The study’s primary question is: ‘What factors and processes shape the design and use of digital advisory and decision support services that are developed for addressing complex agricultural problems in Africa?’

The specific focus of the study is on digital agricultural advisory and decision support, with a geographic focus on Africa. Most of the empirical chapters are based on one of two case studies. The first case is that of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) disease, as an example of the type of complex agricultural problems for which digital services are being developed. The second case is that of ICT4BXW, a Rwandan research for development project that created a smartphone application for BXW management using a participatory design approach. The study builds on conceptual thinking about responsible innovation and responsible design, public goods/bads and collective action, innovation systems, and social inclusion. Methods that were used include experimental games, interviews, surveys, and observational studies.   

The study results show that the impact of a digital agriculture technology or service, on agricultural systems in general and people specifically, is largely determined by how that technology or service was designed. During the (participatory) design process critical decisions about what the technology or service ‘is’ and ‘does are made. Those decisions have implications for the implementation and use of the digital service later and determine the consequences of digitalization for millions of African smallholder farmers. The study results show that the people who develop digital services for the African agricultural sector generally do this with the right intentions. Yet, they often fail in their ambitions due to techno optimism and unrealistic expectations, limited user-readiness and capacity limitations in general across the digital innovation ecosystem, power relationships that challenge true inclusivity in participatory design processes. These factors all limit the capabilities, opportunities, and motivations to observe and cope with and design for the real-world complexity of developing digital technologies and services for African agriculture.

Based on the findings it can be concluded that digital technologies and services are no panacea. In contrast, these innovations have a potentially dark side too. Scientists, development practitioners, donors, and policymakers have a responsibility to try to minimize the negative consequences of digitalization processes in Africa and the Global South. They should thereby consider the complex problems they aim to solve, and the specific types of (institutional) changes, decisions, and collective actions that this requires. It is not enough to look at individual digital innovations in isolation of their users and use context. Digital innovations belong to larger digital innovation ecosystems, which in turn are embedded in agricultural innovations systems, hence systems thinking is needed to grasp the consequences of digitalization. The key to sustainable success is in design, and in approaching digital agricultural advisory and decision support services, digital interventions, and digital innovation ecosystems more holistically and responsibly.

Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor of Philosophy
Awarding Institution
  • Wageningen University
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Leeuwis, Cees, Promotor
  • Klerkx, Laurens, Promotor
Award date1 Oct 2021
Place of PublicationWageningen
Publisher
Print ISBNs9789463959612
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2021

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