Effects of technology dissemination approaches on agricultural technology uptake and utilization in Northern Ghana

• Published in: Technology in society 2020-08, Vol.62, p.101294, Article 101294
• Main Authors: Damba, Osman T., Ansah, Isaac Gershon Kodwo, Donkoh, Samuel A., Alhassan, Amin, Mullins, Gary R., Yussif, Kamaldeen, Taylor, Musah Salifu, Tetteh, Bright KD, Appiah-Twumasi, Mark
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoption; Adoption of innovations; Agribusiness; Agricultural development; Agricultural production; Agricultural technology; Data collection; Dissemination; Farmers; Food security; Insecurity; Northern Ghana; Poverty; Productivity; Rural communities; Technology dissemination; Technology transfer; Technology utilization; Uptake; Utilization; Willingness to pay
• ISSN: 0160-791X; 1879-3274
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101294

Agricultural productivity growth is considered a key pathway to resolving poverty and food insecurity issues in developing Africa. One such pathway to improving agricultural productivity depends on technology uptake and utilization. A critical binding constraint to technology uptake and utilization is the mode of disseminating improved agricultural technologies. The selected methods of disseminating agricultural technologies to farmers are known to influence the replicative effect on productivity enhancement among target and non-target farmers. Based on activities conducted by the Agriculture Technology Transfer Project in Northern Ghana between 2017 and 2018, this paper assesses how multiple dissemination methods influenced technology uptake and utilization by farmers. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect data from 1009 farmers from the (former) three northern regions, and count data and binary regression methods were further applied to assess the effects of the various dissemination approaches on technology uptake and utilization. Results indicate that a well-designed combination of technology dissemination approaches would be most effective and has adoption potential in Northern Ghana. Lessons from this activity may also be effective in promoting productivity-enhancing technology uptake in similar agricultural communities elsewhere. •A suite of agricultural technology dissemination approaches is assessed.•A combination of dissemination approaches enhances technology uptake and utilization.•Disseminating technologies as a pack could be most influential at fostering technology uptake and utilization.•Future agricultural interventions will benefit from adopting multiple dissemination approaches.