ABSTRACT

Purpose

While new rich learning opportunities emerged through the introduction of Innovation Platforms (IPs) in agricultural value chains, the extent to which IPs enhance farmer experiential learning is still unclear.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper brings clarity to the above question by interviewing 91 coffee IP farmers. Data were analyzed through content analysis to generate overarching themes for farmers’ experiences, learning activities, and outcomes.

Findings

Results reveal that participation in IP learning activities generates farmers’ knowledge to cope with coffee value chain challenges. Specifically, farmers’ making-meaning of challenges and generating new solutions represents an iteration between individual critical reflection and experimentation of value chain activities. The IPs facilitated multi-directional knowledge flows among farmers by mobilizing necessary resources.

Practical implications

As many Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) governments cannot provide sufficient extension support, farmers increasingly rely on IPs whose processes stimulate members’ learning commitment and endeavors. Nevertheless, Governments can use these findings to tailor the design and implementation of IPs to farmers’ experiential learning processes.

Theoretical implications

The study contributes to experiential theory in the context of agriculture by advancing a model on how IPs can accelerate farmers’ experiential learning processes based on the challenges experienced.

Originality/value

This article extends knowledge of experiential learning in IPs context.

中文翻译：

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解开乌干达创新平台中咖啡农的体验式学习过程

摘要

目的

虽然通过在农业价值链中引入创新平台 (IP) 出现了新的丰富学习机会，但 IP 在多大程度上增强了农民的体验式学习仍不清楚。

设计/方法/途径

本文通过采访 91 位咖啡 IP 农民来澄清上述问题。通过内容分析对数据进行分析，为农民的经验、学习活动和成果生成总体主题。

发现

结果表明，参与 IP 学习活动可以让农民获得应对咖啡价值链挑战的知识。具体来说，农民对挑战的理解和产生新的解决方案代表了个人批判性反思和价值链活动实验之间的迭代。知识产权通过调动必要的资源促进了农民之间的多向知识流动。

实际影响

由于许多撒哈拉以南非洲 (SSA) 政府无法提供足够的推广支持，因此农民越来越依赖 IP，其过程会激发成员的学习承诺和努力。然而，政府可以利用这些发现来调整 IP 的设计和实施，以适应农民的体验式学习过程。

理论意义

该研究通过推进 IP 如何根据所经历的挑战加速农民的体验式学习过程的模型，为农业背景下的体验式理论做出贡献。

原创性/价值

本文扩展了知识产权背景下体验式学习的知识。