ICTs for Synergy: A Case Study of Scientific Knowledge and Local Farmers' Innovative Activ

The proposed study aims at understanding the existing media and contents of communication between and among local farmers (LF), agricultural extension officers (AEO) and agricultural researchers (AR) and their implications on the advent of the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for agricultural development in Ghana. While the study recognizes the transformative power of the new digital network and its applications in openly disseminating scientific knowledge (Stiglitz, 1999) from one location to another, it also argues that without an intelligent approach to unearthing the innovative activities and local experiences of the communities, the impact of the information age on these economies will remain nebulous. With underlying concepts from the literature on knowledge management (scientific and local knowledge) and the theory of absorptive capacity, the study uses a mixed method approach to analyze the current communication processes and explore new avenues for future improvement. It employs the use of survey, interviews and focus group discussions to elicit data from the three groups at two selected agricultural districts of Ghana where there is a strong linkage between research, extension, and farming. The result of the study is expected to have theoretical, practical and policy implications on knowledge sharing among the actors