Methodological contributions

Experimental (game) methods

A framed public-bad game with ICT-mediated communication
This experiment presented Ethiopian potato farmers with the dilemma to either invest in the joint control of potato late blight disease or to be presented with an economic loss when not reaching a set threshold. ICT-mediated communication was one variable in the experiment, whereby a sub-set of the total sample was given a smartphone with a pre-installed application that would allow him/her to communicate with fellow farmers.

A Dynamic Socio-ecological game method, framed as Musa-game
This experiment presented Rwandan banana farmers with the dilemma to either invest in the individual control of banana xanthomonas wilt disease or risk being presented with an economic loss when confronted with the disease. Potential additional loss for both individual and collective loss of the player(s) could be endured if a diseased plot was found by a disease monitor. Communication was a variable in the experiment, whereby two sub-sets of the total sample were given an opportunity to either communicate with fellow players before starting the game, or before and half-way through the game.

A Visually Facilitated Scenario Mapping experiment
This experimental method was used to assess how meteorological information influenced Ghanaian rice farmers’ decision-making. Using a visual mapping exercise in several workshops the researchers tested how forecast probability, seasonal forecast lead time, and weather lead time affected farmer decision-making about crop production.

Citizen science approaches

Citizen science programme for mosquito surveillance
In Rwanda, a citizen science program was co-developed together with community members. These community members could decide about e.g. the technical used to collect and report on mosquito species, mosquito nuisances, and occurrence of malaria within their communities.

ICT platforms
Farmer Farm monitoring tool In Ghana, an Action Design Research approach was used to co-design the interface of a smartphone application together with maize farmers that could support information flow between diverse actors and inclusiveness within the maize value chain.