Spreading the word

Good communication is vital to increase the impact of research outputs, reaching the widest audience possible.  Within DFID's RNRRS, public-private partnerships and closer working between the agriculture, education and health sectors, are proving exciting and innovative mechanisms for sharing resources and information to enhance the effectiveness and uptake of research.

In Kenya, collaboration with local NGOs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has created cartoon books (‘Wambui Finds Out’ series) that pupils colour-in at primary schools. These books, using technical messages from the UK Medical Research Council, communicate human health messages alongside those of livestock production and animal health of cattle, and small livestock species such as goats, rabbits and bees, which can provide income and nutrition for poorer families.  Household surveys have shown that through taking the books home, children are spreading messages to community groups such as women and poorer farmers, often marginalised by traditional technical extension services.

In much of Africa, the common bean is a major source of protein and calories for poor people, and is grown largely by women.  Working in collaboration with the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and several NGOs in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi, evaluations of traditional technologies (e.g. pesticides made from plant extracts) to control bean pests and diseases, have encouraged farmers to value their local knowledge and to form groups to share this through informal group training, songs, poems etc. In western Kenya, these networks have been so successful that the Ministries of Health and Education have used them to communicate messages about HIV/AIDS awareness and adult literacy activities.

In partnership with other donors, DFID is funding a project managed by Farm Input Promotions Africa Ltd, a not-for-profit limited company in Kenya, working with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, the Ministry of Agriculture and several private sector companies to package fertilisers and herbicides for sale in affordable mini-packs alongside free promotional small packs of disease resistant maize seed. These enable poor farmers to experiment and innovate with products they were previously unable to afford, and herbicides in particular can help to reduce labour intensive weeding.  Information on safe and sensible spraying of crops is also provided at retailers and more recently, partnership with the DFID-funded ‘National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control’ Programme has ensured that traditional agricultural information disseminated to over 100 000 farmers, has also included leaflets in Swahili on prevention and management of HIV/AIDS.

Close collaboration between researchers and policy-makers from the start of a project can encourage and enable the uptake of research findings into policy. Findings suggest that:

• if research is to be made applicable and accessible to national environments, it must be responsive to demand, involve participation, good two-way communication and be useful to intermediary organisations, such as local NGOs, working with poor people
• the method by which research findings are communicated is of particular importance e.g. radio is good for reaching rural communities and women in particular and content and messages should be written in appropriate language and format
• farmers rarely want single messages, but rather packets of information which address a range of their most important farming constraints. Information sources that benefit farmers often become trusted and other messages can then be incorporated
• private sector engagement in research may help to ensure sustainability and the flow of information, although it must be recognised that their aims and objectives may be different from that of publicly funded research.

Networks can facilitate a more cohesive approach between researchers, policy-makers, intermediary organisations and users, and provide more appropriate conditions for learning and sharing messages across sectors.

Source(s):
'Working to improve family nutrition', in id21 Insights Health #5, May 2004
'Natural resource management and human health: the forgotten link?'

Funded by: UK Department for International Development

id21 Research Highlight: 14 May 2004

Further Information:
Frances Kimmins
Crop Protection Programme
Natural Resources International Ltd.
Park House, Bradbourne Lane
Aylesford, Kent ME20 6SN
UK

Contact the contributor: f.kimmins@nrint.co.uk

Natural Resources International Ltd., UK

Other related links:
'A better working environment'

'Supporting local knowledge and protecting resources'

'Food systems and security: helping the poor to cope'

'Improving family nutrition'

'Animal to human: controlling diseases which affect poor people in livestock'

'Gut reaction: simple steps to improve food safety and sanitation'

'Sustainable solutions to environmental and human health'