Sources of innovation in family olive farms
The case of Bejaia province in Algeria.
This study - by Billal Maghni and Kamal Oukaci, University of Bejaia - aims to check for the contribution of knowledge and information to innovation activity in family olive farms in Bejaia province (Algeria), and looks for the most efficient sources and channels of knowledge and information flows. To do this, we have first computed an innovation index for a sample farms, whereupon we have carried out a statistical analysis using linear regression method to find out about the most significant determinants of innovation.
The main result is that direct interactions between farmers and local public agricultural research as well as user/producer interactions along the value chain are of the most contribution to innovation. Nevertheless, it turns out that farmers seem not take advantage of the operational knowledge that spills over from most of other knowledge and information institutions and organisations.
Olive growing in Algeria is characterized by the duality of the farming system, which dates back to the colonial period. A modern system is predominant in western Algeria and is intended for the production of table olives.
In the other hand, traditional olive growing system, mostly devoted to olive oil extraction, prevails in mountain regions, essentially in Kabylia, a northern region of Algeria.
- From the introduction.
[Photo by Nejma Rondeleux | Flickr]
