Services innovation — digital ecosystem approach to dissemination and co-creation of knowledge for Indian Agriculture Extension Services

Abstract

Indian agriculture is today at a cross road. Many new diseases, pests and weeds affect the crops. Some old techniques, such as the copious use of irrigation, have resulted in top soil impoverishment. There is a need for innovative practices to be introduced at every stage of the Indian agriculture value chain. The current practices within the Indian Agricultural Extension Service (IAES) focus on a top down approach to services. It largely depends on a traditional F2F service model. This model focuses on instructional model of imparting knowledge to the farmers at the village level. Our past studies across several districts of Uttar Pradesh in India show lack of innovation across the entire IAES system and ill effect of group think. Innovation at the grass root level does not spread across the value chain due to unidirectional approach of the current IAES. In this context ICT provides an opportunity to enhance the service dominant co-creation and delivery in the extension system by providing a set of tools and techniques that are interoperable and easy to use. This paper explores how digital technology deployment projects need to distinguish between organizing explicit knowledge from agricultural experts and researchers (Gyan Dhara) in knowledge repositories as opposed to acquisition of field knowledge from farmers, traders and other practitioners (Gana Gyan) through participative and circularity of communication.