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they are unlikely to perform them unless they are reasonably sure that their neighbours will take proper action as well.
In connection with these kinds of situations, Ostrom (1990, 2009) has identified
several communicative and informational conditions and strategies related to the
interaction between interdependent actors that are conducive to creating a ‘public
good’ (e.g. an effective community-based disease management strategy). Below, we
briefly discuss these conditions and how they link to our ‘reasons for (non)adoption’
model and the possibilities of ICT4Ag.
Typically, the effective maintenance of a common pool resource and/or the creation of a public good requires the existence of certain rules (institutions) with
regard to how people in a community of actors should behave. In relation to pest and
disease management, such rules could be ‘to remove and burn diseased plants as
soon as possible’, to ‘build ditches around diseased fields to prevent infection
through run-off water’, to ‘apply preventive spraying after the first rains have
passed’ and/or ‘to make a monthly contribution to cover maintenance costs of collective spraying equipment’. Ostrom (1990, 2009) concludes that in order for such
rules to be effective, it is important that most individuals in the community are able
to participate in making and modifying them. Clearly, this requires intensive communication between interdependent actors in the community. Similarly, fostering
adherence to such rules depends on the availability of various kinds of information.
According to Ostrom, members of the community need an up-to-date information
about the condition of the resource that is relevant and actionable in view of the
prevailing rules, in this case, information about the agro-ecological conditions of
the field and the actual presence of the disease. In addition, community members are
more likely to conform to the rules if they have information about the behaviour of
others on which they depend, for example, information with regard to whether or
not others are fulfilling their obligations or not and whether or not sanctioning systems operate effectively. Clearly, the generation and distribution of such information requires the operation of a monitoring system that captures both agro-ecological
conditions and human behaviour and makes them available to those belonging to the
community.
Clearly, the kinds of communicative and informational functions mentioned
above can potentially be supported by ICT. Social media applications may, for
example, support interaction within a community of actors during the process of
designing rules and even help enlarge the boundaries of effective community formation and identity building (Cieslik et al. 2018; Bennett and Segerberg 2012).
Similarly, mobile phones can serve to record, report and process decentralised
observations as part of a community-based monitoring system for pest and disease
management and help to share such information with participating farmers. In this
manner, communicative and informational services may help to foster conducive
conditions for collective action in response to agricultural pests and diseases. It
must be noted that such types of ICT applications would differ markedly from those
oriented towards disseminating ‘best practices’ and/or persuading individual farmers to adopt them. Rather than focussing on influencing ‘determinants’ for individual behaviour (e.g. knowledge, attitudes, ability), they are geared towards supporting
C. Leeuwis and N. Aarts
they are unlikely to perform them unless they are reasonably sure that their neighbours will take proper action as well.
In connection with these kinds of situations, Ostrom (1990, 2009) has identified
several communicative and informational conditions and strategies related to the
interaction between interdependent actors that are conducive to creating a ‘public
good’ (e.g. an effective community-based disease management strategy). Below, we
briefly discuss these conditions and how they link to our ‘reasons for (non)adoption’
model and the possibilities of ICT4Ag.
Typically, the effective maintenance of a common pool resource and/or the creation of a public good requires the existence of certain rules (institutions) with
regard to how people in a community of actors should behave. In relation to pest and
disease management, such rules could be ‘to remove and burn diseased plants as
soon as possible’, to ‘build ditches around diseased fields to prevent infection
through run-off water’, to ‘apply preventive spraying after the first rains have
passed’ and/or ‘to make a monthly contribution to cover maintenance costs of collective spraying equipment’. Ostrom (1990, 2009) concludes that in order for such
rules to be effective, it is important that most individuals in the community are able
to participate in making and modifying them. Clearly, this requires intensive communication between interdependent actors in the community. Similarly, fostering
adherence to such rules depends on the availability of various kinds of information.
According to Ostrom, members of the community need an up-to-date information
about the condition of the resource that is relevant and actionable in view of the
prevailing rules, in this case, information about the agro-ecological conditions of
the field and the actual presence of the disease. In addition, community members are
more likely to conform to the rules if they have information about the behaviour of
others on which they depend, for example, information with regard to whether or
not others are fulfilling their obligations or not and whether or not sanctioning systems operate effectively. Clearly, the generation and distribution of such information requires the operation of a monitoring system that captures both agro-ecological
conditions and human behaviour and makes them available to those belonging to the
community.
Clearly, the kinds of communicative and informational functions mentioned
above can potentially be supported by ICT. Social media applications may, for
example, support interaction within a community of actors during the process of
designing rules and even help enlarge the boundaries of effective community formation and identity building (Cieslik et al. 2018; Bennett and Segerberg 2012).
Similarly, mobile phones can serve to record, report and process decentralised
observations as part of a community-based monitoring system for pest and disease
management and help to share such information with participating farmers. In this
manner, communicative and informational services may help to foster conducive
conditions for collective action in response to agricultural pests and diseases. It
must be noted that such types of ICT applications would differ markedly from those
oriented towards disseminating ‘best practices’ and/or persuading individual farmers to adopt them. Rather than focussing on influencing ‘determinants’ for individual behaviour (e.g. knowledge, attitudes, ability), they are geared towards supporting
C. Leeuwis and N. Aarts