Multiple Knowledges for Agricultural Production: Implications for the Development of Conservation Agriculture in Kenya and Uganda

AbstractPurposeThis article investigates the extent of multiple knowledges among smallholders and connected non-farm agents around Mount Elgon in Kenya and Uganda in order to build the communicative competence needed to scale up conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS).Design/methodology/approachOur methodological approach examines local conditions through the analysis of farmers and non-farm agents’ perceptions of agricultural norms and practices or technological frames across four sites. Responses to a list of 20 questionnaire items characterizing three ideal types of technological frames (conservation agriculture, conventional modern agriculture, and risk averse agriculture) were analyzed through inter-group comparisons and multiple regression.FindingsThe findings indicate that there is a fundamental gap between the perspectives framing the knowledge of farmers and those of the service sector/community agents with respect to agricultural production norms and practices. Specifically, agricultu...