Mapping Minds: How can cognitive mapping transform agro-advisory services?

There are many agro-advisory services, all vying for farmers’ attention in this age of information overload. In 2023 alone, the average person consumed nearly 74 GB of data per month – a testament to the age of attention economy. Kenya, with its rapidly growing digital landscape and young population, offers a unique lens into this dynamic. The gig economy thrives, with young people increasingly engaging in digital spaces for work, learning, and entrepreneurship. This shift is also influencing agriculture, as farmers – especially the younger generation – leverage mobile platforms, apps, and SMS-based advisories to improve their practices and connect to the markets.

Agro-advisory services – critical for fostering sustainable agriculture, are not immune to this competition for engagement. They must compete not only with entertainment and social media but also with other educational and commercial content. Yet, while their importance is undisputed, a pressing question remains: How do we make agro-advisory services not only interesting but also impactful? How can they capture attention in such a crowded digital space while ensuring the advice provided translates into actionable outcomes for farmers?

Understanding how farmers and youth interact with the digital ecosystem is key to designing agro-advisories that resonate and drive meaningful change. Impact studies on agro-advisories focus on quantitative metrics like reach or adoption rates. These numbers, while useful, often miss the nuance of how farmers perceive, process and act on the advice they receive. What’s missing is an understanding of the why – the cognitive pathways that drive farmers’ decisions.