AVANT GARDENER
Knowledge management is extremely important, especially in industries that rely on information to move forward, yet have a personnel base that are most of the time loath to adapt new techniques.
A large number of Filipino farmers fall into this category, with many adopting a “to see is to believe” attitude before allowing themselves to try new farming techniques.
This is one of the many hindrances agricultural research and knowledge dissemination institutions and organizations are up against when it comes to modernizing farming techniques.
Proper knowledge management
The availability of digital technology has been a boon to information dissemination in the agriculture industry, not just in terms of spreading knowledge but also in giving industry outsiders a glimpse of what goes on inside a farm, fishpond, or fishing vessel.
Within knowledge institutions, it has been instrumental in the capturing, analyzing, and dissemination of research and information. That many people had access to a smartphone and internet, for example, was especially helpful during the pandemic where people continued to learn, teach, and even sell products online.
Agricultural institutions such as the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) do a good job collecting information and turning them into instructional videos and pamphlets and so on. What is needed is more people and avenues to be able to deliver such information effectively to those who need it and either do not know it exists, do not think they need it but actually do, or do not have the means to access the materials.
Capitalizing on the exponential effects of knowledge networks
But aside from just being able to record and store instructional audio and video, it is also important to be able to understand how to arrange all acquired knowledge so that it makes sense to someone who is accessing the information for the first time. Nowadays, when disseminating information to the public relies more than ever on the public’s interest for a topic to become popular (something enabled by social media algorithms), it is also important that scientific and agricultural institutions understand how to package their messages to appeal to the masses, without diluting its meaning.
Knowledge institutions should also continue to strengthen collaborations with other capacity building organizations with the goal of reaching and supporting the most number of constituents. An example would be ATI partnerships with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to speed the process of setting up a small business for agripreneurs with promising products.
Knowledge management, at least in the agriculture sector, should begin with information storage and end in successful real-world applications.