Making Agricultural Knowledge Accessible Through Co-Creation: Insights from Tarisai Kanyepi’s Work
Agricultural expert Tarisai Kanyepi, through the COINS project, is helping transform how sustainable farming knowledge is shared with communities in Ghana and Senegal. The initiative focuses on making agricultural practices more accessible by involving farmers, researchers, and local experts in the development of practical learning tools.
The project addresses the challenge of promoting sustainable intensification — increasing productivity on existing farmland while protecting soil health. Although many farmers are familiar with soil fertility management practices, some techniques can be complex to understand and apply. To overcome this barrier, the project team co-created picture-based storybooks, local-language videos, and interactive games designed to make learning more engaging and inclusive.
Kanyepi emphasised that effective agricultural training must reach diverse groups, including women, young farmers, and those with limited literacy. She highlighted the importance of visual and hands-on learning approaches, noting that farmers often trust knowledge shared by other farmers who demonstrate practices from their own experiences.
A key lesson from the project was the value of treating farmers as partners rather than only recipients of information. Their feedback helped improve learning materials and revealed practical challenges that researchers had overlooked.
By combining local knowledge with scientific expertise, the COINS project demonstrates how collaborative approaches can create sustainable, relevant, and long-lasting agricultural solutions for farming communities across Africa.
