As part of our Farm-PEP Innovate UK project we have now completed a rapid appraisal of the impacts of Covid-19 on knowledge exchange in agriculture. The study was led by Prof Julie Ingram of CCRI and consisted of an online survey, detailed interviews and stakeholder workshops. You can see full reports from each of these components here or view the summary report.
The work led to the creation of a Challenge Statement which will guide the development of the Farm-PEP web solution:
COVID-19 has changed knowledge exchange with a significant increase in the adoption of digital tools. While online delivery offers scale and convenience, farmers and KE practitioners can be overwhelmed by content volume, fail to translate information into useful knowledge, and suffer from online fatigue. They would like to be able to...
- Ensure information is authentic and reliable
- Filter out the noise and find what they want easily
- Choose from a variety of delivery and learning approaches
- Collaborate and interact effectively
- Engage at a level that recognises their digital skills and abilities
- Receive coaching and guidance for effective online delivery
- Work synergistically with face-to-face delivery
...so that robust information can be translated into practice change at scale, to enable the UK agriculture sector to realise increased productivity and profitability in a sustainable way.