Agriculture plays a significant role in food security and poverty alleviation, especially in the rural African households. African agriculture is however confronted by many challenges.
Despite the recent progress in agricultural and land management technologies, agricultural production in most parts of the continent are still at subsistence levels with the small holder producers who dominate the agricultural production landscape barely able to meet their own consumption needs. Africa remains the only region in the developing world where agricultural yields are low and continue to decline.
There are a myriad of reasons why agricultural yields continue to decline yet so many efficient technologies and innovations are in existence and others emerging by day. One of the probable causes that African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) and its Country affiliates (Country Foras) sees is the lack of transmission of existing knowledge to the small holder farmers.
The nomination of AFAAS, Communication Information and Knowledge Management Facilitators to KM4AgD challenge 2022, a joint activity under the CAADP XP4 programme which AFAAS is implementing, is an iconic moment for the Country Foras; a time for bold changes that will have implications to the farming community that the Fora’s serves. The Challenge aims to improve and capture and dissemination of knowledge in African agriculture by building the appropriate capacities, establishing communities of practice, and strengthening knowledge generation, dissemination, and use mechanisms.
Among the CFs nominated is the Forum for Agriculture Advisory Services – Kenya (KeFAAS). KeFAAS aim to develop a Knowledge Management Strategy to build capacity of its members and the Forums Thematic Working Groups (TWG) which generates a lot of knowledge products including ensuring delivery and monitoring results among others, with the aim of enhancing resilience of the farming communities.
Therefore, the Country Fora is extending a solemn call to all leaders at all levels, the members of staff, TWG and partners to support the KM strategy rolling out and its implementation by integrating Knowledge Management at an institutionall level
This sets us on course towards the attainment and promotion of integrated regional farmer-driven digital hubs which will support knowledge management and sharing, information dissemination and farmer-to-farmer learning and catalyze farmers’ inclusion in value chains through digital hubs.