G. Mbuthia Kamau: "Researching with Farmers: A study of KARI participatory research practices in context"

Researching with farmers:
A study of KARI participatory practices in context.

Participatory research was introduced into the Kenyan Agricultural research institute to facilitate a farmer driven research process. The present research analysed the historical and current contexts and practices which could have led to partial achievement of the intended objective.  Studies were conducted on selected farmer research groups, self organized groups, farmer partnerships and school groups’. Analysis of the institute’s history revealed continuities and discontinuities in spatial outlay and mandates, institutional culture and operational policies. The ambivalence in commercial and subsistence focus, diverse collaborators’ and donors’ agenda besides researchers’ disciplinary bias and professional ambitions influenced research implementation. Overlooking of farmers’ perspectives was shown to render existent structures like joint planning and evaluation committees mostly symbolic. Farmers’ technical and social innovations in the farmer organized groups illustrated innovativeness and flexibility while farmer partnerships and work with school groups’ demonstrated harnessing of synergy through mutual interaction. These cases provided insights for a responsive research practice and enhanced communication. In conclusion, it is argued that existent structures to enhance mutual interaction ought to be re-juvenated through enabling strategies at various levels in the research system. This would enhance utilization of innovations by farmers and incorporation of farmer perspectives by the researchers. Areas proposed for further research include how to create functional partnerships, communities of practice and mechanisms to change researchers’ views of farmers perspectives aimed at a responsive research process with capacity to respond to dynamic contextual changes.