CONTEXT

As a direct link between farmers and manufacturers of technologies, the characteristics and activities of input suppliers can be expected to play an important role in the generation and diffusion of innovations in agricultural systems. While the agricultural innovation systems (AIS) literature recognises the importance of input suppliers, there are few studies from the Global South assessing the nature and implications of their activities.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to improve the understanding of how input suppliers can influence the functioning and development of AIS in the Global South.

METHODS

We first adapt the ‘functions of innovation systems’ framework to examine the role of these private-sector actors in an AIS, identifying three activity categories, through which input suppliers can influence the AIS: market creation for technological innovations, the creation and dissemination of knowledge, and influence on technology priorities. We then apply the framework to a case study of the small-scale irrigation sector in Kenya.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The case study documents the emergence of a new cohort of irrigation-equipment suppliers during the period of strong growth in the market for small-scale irrigation technologies since 2000, and examines how they affect the small-scale irrigation agricultural innovation system (SIAIS). We find that Kenyan irrigation-input suppliers perform important activities and roles in the SIAIS aside input supply, notably provision of advisory services, improvement of the supply chain for irrigation technologies, introduction and adaptations of new types of irrigation equipment, and facilitation of access to farm credit. Irrigation-input suppliers in Kenya thus play an important role in the functionality of the SIAIS, particularly regarding knowledge creation and dissemination.

SIGNIFICANCE

The novelty of the paper lies in its empirical assessment of input suppliers in the small-scale irrigation sector and its application of the functions framework. The paper shows that input suppliers can become effective agents of knowledge diffusion once the market has reached a sufficient size and documents how they contributed to knowledge development as they develop, adapt and test specific irrigation equipment. The paper also emphasises that input suppliers can form a key link between national AIS and foreign companies, as they bring in foreign expertise (know-how) to the market along with agricultural technologies. We therefore suggest that policy interventions in support of smallholder irrigation should seek leverage from the growth and capacities of input suppliers as a complement to public research and extension.

中文翻译：

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农业创新系统中投入品供应商作用的功能分析：肯尼亚小规模灌溉案例

语境

作为农民和技术制造商之间的直接联系，投入品供应商的特点和活动有望在农业系统创新的产生和传播中发挥重要作用。虽然农业创新系统 (AIS) 文献认识到投入品供应商的重要性，但很少有来自全球南方的研究评估其活动的性质和影响。

客观的

本文的目的是提高对投入品供应商如何影响全球南方 AIS 的运作和发展的理解。

方法

我们首先调整“创新系统的功能”框架来检查这些私营部门参与者在 AIS 中的作用，确定三个活动类别，通过这些活动类别，投入供应商可以影响 AIS：技术创新的市场创造、技术创新的创造和传播知识，以及对技术优先事项的影响。然后，我们将该框架应用于肯尼亚小规模灌溉部门的案例研究。

结果与结论

该案例研究记录了自 2000 年以来小规模灌溉技术市场强劲增长期间出现了一批新的灌溉设备供应商，并研究了它们如何影响小规模灌溉农业创新系统 (SIAIS)。我们发现肯尼亚灌溉投入品供应商在 SIAIS 中除了投入品供应之外还发挥着重要的活动和作用，特别是提供咨询服务、改善灌溉技术的供应链、引进和改造新型灌溉设备以及促进获得农业信贷。因此，肯尼亚的灌溉投入供应商在 SIAIS 的功能中发挥着重要作用，特别是在知识创造和传播方面。

意义

本文的新颖之处在于它对小规模灌溉部门的投入供应商的实证评估及其对功能框架的应用。该论文表明，一旦市场达到足够的规模，投入品供应商就可以成为知识传播的有效代理人，并记录了他们在开发、调整和测试特定灌溉设备时如何为知识发展做出贡献。该文件还强调，投入品供应商可以在国家 AIS 和外国公司之间形成关键联系，因为他们将外国专业知识（技术诀窍）与农业技术一起引入市场。因此，我们建议支持小农灌溉的政策干预应从投入供应商的增长和能力中寻求影响，作为公共研究和推广的补充。