Bridging gaps in innovation systems for small-scale agricultural activities in sub-Saharan Africa: brokers wanted!

ABSTRACT

The limited development and diffusion of appropriate innovations in the context of small-scale agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa can be attributed to the lack of cohesiveness among actors within agricultural innovation systems. Linkages can however be facilitated among actors by brokerage. Although the practice of brokerage is still at an infant stage, available literature recommends with reservations brokers whose core function is brokerage for the sector. In order to identify actors policy-makers can nominate as brokers to fast-track brokerage activities in the sector, this conceptual study; (a) delineates actors in the innovation system into three groups – smallholders, innovating units and funding/policy support institutions; (b) theorizes that effective brokers – are constructively socially evaluated and high in self-monitoring, have high absorptive capacities, possess global connections and excel in their core functions and (c) applies these characteristics on the delineated groups. The study outlines brokerage content to be information, knowledge and funding and recommends brokers who are embedded in the innovation system by their core functions for the sector.

KEYWORDS:

• Appropriate innovations
• brokerage
• status
• absorptive capability
• self-monitoring
• global connections

Acknowledgment

The author wishes to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments on previous drafts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This program was labelled ‘Knowledge bearers in small and medium sized businesses' (KIM) in the Netherlands. It involved training individuals in novel processes and inserting them in SMEs to change perceptions towards innovations (Nooteboom 2001).