Participatory design of digital innovation in agricultural research-for-development: insights from practice

Jonathan Steinke, Berta Ortiz-Crespo, Jacob van Etten, Anna Müller · 2021 · Agricultural Systems

Summary. Participatory design methodologies improve ICT adoption in agriculture, but implementing them in smallholder farming contexts creates real challenges. The authors document tensions between design ideals and project realities in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, including mismatched stakeholder expectations, top-down hierarchies, neglected digital ecosystems, and poor software reuse. They offer practical guidance for agricultural researchers to conduct more effective participatory design processes that produce meaningful digital innovations.

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Steinke, J., Ortiz-Crespo, B., Etten, J. V., & Müller, A.. (2021). Participatory design of digital innovation in agricultural research-for-development: insights from practice. Agricultural Systems. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103313

@article{steinke-2021-participatory-design-digital-innovation-agricultural,
  title   = {Participatory design of digital innovation in agricultural research-for-development: insights from practice},
  author  = {Jonathan Steinke and Berta Ortiz-Crespo and Jacob van Etten and Anna Müller},
  journal = {Agricultural Systems},
  year    = {2021},
  doi     = {10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103313},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103313}
}

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TI  - Participatory design of digital innovation in agricultural research-for-development: insights from practice
AU  - Jonathan Steinke
AU  - Berta Ortiz-Crespo
AU  - Jacob van Etten
AU  - Anna Müller
JO  - Agricultural Systems
PY  - 2021
DO  - 10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103313
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Details

DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103313
Countries: South Africa, Peru, Kenya, Uganda
Regions: Africa, South America
Categories: agtech, innovation-networks
Added: 2026-04-28