A Systematic Literature Review of the Intersection between Social Media and Cultural Identity: Implications for Agricultural and Environmental Communication

Social media has radically changed human communication patterns, impacting how people perceive scientific information. This study sought to explore how cultural identity impacts the use of, and engagement with, social media content related to agriculture and the environment. Informed by Social Representation Theory, a systematic qualitative literature review was conducted to investigate how cultural identity impacted engagement with social media sources of agricultural and environmental information. Several studies indicated differences in social media engagement between people from different cultures. However, different definitions and perspectives on cultural identity emerged with some researchers describing culture in relation to nationality and others in terms of beliefs. In cases where culture was described in relation to beliefs, it was observed that individuals are more likely to defend beliefs central to their sense of identity when contradicted by new information. Despite the availability of several studies integrating cultural identity, environment, and social media, a gap was observed within research explicating directly the intersection between science communication, cultural identity, and social media. Additionally, differences emerged between research on social media and cultural identity within agricultural communication as compared with more general environmental communication. Due to the changing dynamics in agricultural and environmental communication proliferated through social media, scholars should place greater emphasis on research aimed at investigating the impact of social identity, social media, interaction and engagement with online communication messages. Future research should investigate how a holistic social identity impacts individuals’ perceptions of science communication messages, as no clear answer emerged within the current literature

Arguing for Argument’s Sake? Exploring Public Conversations around Climate Change on Twitter

Audience-facilitated information flow has become the new norm created by a public divergence from traditional media sources. Mobile device advancements and partnerships have changed how audiences view news media and the sources relied upon to obtain information. With these advancements, social media users have become primary information providers and information gatekeepers. Twitter specifically has become a news media platform for some based on its effectiveness in facilitating information flow and triggering reorganization as it provides a platform for collaboration and coordination. Despite widespread acceptance of the threat climate change poses by the scientific community, it is still a topic of contention on social media. Climate conversations are typically approached with an us versus them mindset with us being used as representation of the communities to which audiences belong. The communities one belongs to typically follows social media users social, political and environmental ideologies. Walton’s theory of argument or inference schemes served as the theoretical framework for this study. Argument schemes represent common arguments and special context arguments, in this case scientific argumentation. Walton’s argument from ignorance was used as a framework for the study. The argument states that if there has been a thorough search through the knowledge base then concrete proof of a fact would exist. The findings indicated social media may be a useful tool when exploring climate change conversations through a sociopolitical lens and additional research is needed to closely examine how political ideologies, global location, and different environmental topics impact issue awareness and beliefs

Strengthening Coordination Among Extension Service Providers for Improved Provision of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services: A Case Study from Kenya

Implementation of decentralized and pluralistic policies in provision of extension services has led to increased availability of actors providing extension services to farmers in most developing countries including Kenya. What is unique about extension services providers is that they have a shared goal of improving agricultural productivity. However, in some cases these providers differ in their knowledge regarding the practices or knowledge that is required to improve agricultural productivity. Lack of shared knowledge among providers has contributed to delivery of uncoordinated and duplication of efforts thereby limiting the effectiveness of efforts in extension services delivery. Moreover, in some cases lack of shared knowledge has contributed towards provision of conflicting information which has left farmers confused. Enhancing coordination and collaboration among these representatives is of paramount importance if their efforts to improve agricultural productivity are to be successful. Having structures in place that bring together organizations that have shared goals is an important step in facilitating coordination. This is based on findings of a case study that was conducted in Kenya with the Kenyan Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (KeFAAS). The results of the study provide insights that can be used as a starting point when strengthening coordination in extension services delivery in decentralized and pluralistic environments

Impact of Agricultural Communication Interventions on Improving Agricultural Productivity in Malawi

Agricultural communication (AGCOM) has been known to aid in disseminating research-based agricultural information among Malawian farmers. In 1958 the Malawi Government, via the Ministry of Agriculture, established the Agricultural Communications Branch (ACB) in an attempt to increase access to and adoption of scientifically-proven technologies among farmers. Moreover, in 2000 the Malawi Government started implementing an agricultural extension policy that promoted pluralistic demand-driven extension, which led to the increased availability of non-governmental organizations providing AGCOM services to farmers. However, after several decades of using different communication tools to promote new technologies, low productivity in most small holder farms remains a challenge, with limited adoption of improved technology as one of the contributing factors. In this exploratory, convergent, mixed methods study, 30 Malawian farmers and six AGCOM officers who were selected using convenient and snow ball sampling respectively participated in key informant interviews. In addition, 64 AGCOM officers who were selected using simple random sampling were involved in a survey. The findings of the study revealed that information delivered to farmers does not address farmer needs in most cases. Specifically, existing policies, source and availability of funding, and the agricultural calendar influenced choice of information that was disseminated. For example,the existing policy does not allow AGCOM officers to disseminate local and innovative farmer practices unless they are tested and approved by scientists. Such policies, perpetuates a mindset among farmers that innovations originate from outside their communities, thereby making it hard for them to share their local, indigenous ideas with their colleagues. Moreover, it has contributed to the inability of AGCOM to be used as an innovation creation tool, hence AGCOMs’ limited impact

Agricultural information perceptions and behaviors of smallholder farmers in the central region of Malawi

Low levels of adoption of agricultural technologies are among the problems affecting agricultural development in most African countries, including Malawi. Research shows that limited access to information is one of the major factors affecting adoption of agricultural technologies. To ensure increased access to agricultural information, the Malawian government established the Agricultural Communication Branch (ACB) through the Department of Agricultural Extension of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The ACB is mandated to disseminate print and electronic agricultural messages to all farmers in the country. However, little is known regarding farmers\u27 use of such communication media to access agricultural information because no established mechanisms exist for collecting audience feedback. Regular audience feedback is important in improving delivery of agricultural information. Equipped with these data, communicators have a better understanding of audience needs and preferences and a more solid basis for targeting information to farmers. The current research was aimed at describing and understanding Malawian farmers\u27 perceptions and use of communication channels for accessing agricultural information. The study was based on the following objectives: To identify communication channels used by Malawian farmers when accessing agricultural information; to identify demographic factors associated with Malawian farmers\u27 preferences for and use of communication channels; and to identify common information delivery methods used by ACB in transmitting agricultural messages to Malawian farmers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 farmers and survey research techniques were used to collect data from 12 ACB communication officers in support of study objectives. Farmer data were collected using a question route developed by the researcher. Farmers were randomly selected from a list maintained by the Department of Agricultural Extension. The researcher visited farmers in their respective homes and administered the interviews in Chichewa, Malawi\u27s vernacular language. Responses were then translated into English and transcribed. Communication officer data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire that was mailed to participants. The researcher made follow-up phone calls to encourage completion and return of the questionnaires. Farmer data were entered into Microsoft Excel for analysis, in which the researcher tabulated frequencies and identified themes in the data. Communication officer data were entered into SPSS for descriptive analyses that included tabulation of frequencies and percentages. Findings from this research showed that radio was most-used medium among the farmers who participated in the study. However, it was indicated that farmers prefer print media when accessing information despite observations that farmers in the study had never accessed information in print media. This finding demonstrated farmers\u27 use of a communication channel does not necessarily indicate that farmers prefer that channel, but that in the absence of a preferred channel, will use whatever channel is available to them. Findings also revealed that most women who participated in the study do not have control over the use of communication devices and, further, that some women would not participate in the study because their husbands were present at the time of data collection. Findings also revealed that most communication officers participating in the study were not aware of the communication channels used by the farmers and also that the officers were not familiar with channels used by ACB. However, officers expressed the view that the ACB does not meet all farmers\u27 information needs due to such challenges as inadequate financial resources, limited support from other players, inadequate skills, and mobility problems. Findings from this research have the potential to improve delivery of agricultural information to Malawian farmers. Realizing this potential will require the consideration of recommendations pertaining to both communication officers and administrators in ACB and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Among the recommendations are to increase communication staffing levels to ensure adequate communication capacity in the organization. Also recommended is an organizational needs assessment to assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in identifying strategic priorities, resources and a timeline for establishing or restoring important organizational functions such as audience and impact analysis. Finally, it is recommended that research and evaluation capability be re-established within the ACB to allow ongoing audience analysis and collection of farmer feedback on which to base future agricultural communication efforts. Implications for future research are offered in the closing section of the document

Exploring the impact of agricultural policies on the documentation and sharing of indigenous knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa

The study sought to explore the extent to which agricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries incorporate Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and its impact on the efforts to document and share agricultural IK through communication efforts. A qualitative content analysis of policy documents from seven SSA countries and eight key informant interviews with knowledge management officers from the seven countries was conducted. Purposive sampling was used to select the countries, determine documents examined, and for the selection of key informants for the interviews. The results revealed that IK was not included in several SSA countries’ governmental agricultural policies. Activities aimed at capturing, documentation and sharing IK in SSA countries were not found despite the presence of evidence of its importance to agricultural research and development. These results provide insights on the need for researchers, communicators, educators, and decision makers to consider incorporating IK into policy associated with agricultural information dissemination to improve technology generation and adoption.This article is published as Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Alexa Lamm and Shuyang Qu . "Exploring the impact of agricultural policies on the documentation and sharing of indigenous knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa." Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development 14, no. 4 (2022): 173-182. doi:10.5897/JAERD2022.1331. Posted with permission.This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0