Social innovation and its potential transformative outcomes among selected learning sites for agriculture in Camarines Sur, Philippines

Date

2024

Abstract

The study analyzed social innovation and its potential transformative outcomes among selected learning sites for agriculture (LSA) in Camarines Sur, Philippines. Certified LSAs in 2019 that were able to conduct training programs were chosen to enable the investigation of potential outcomes. Data were gathered through document analysis, key informant interviews, and surveys using a convergent parallel mixed-method research design. The emergent themes in product and service innovations included new farm produce, processed food products, non-food products, and technical services offered. The process innovations were clustered into sustainable agricultural practices, operational efficiency, environmental stewardship, and elevating service performance while marketing innovations included market outlet optimization and client adaptability. The evolution of social innovations involved identifying critical issues, generating solutions, experimenting, and adopting strategies to sustain the innovations. Factors that hamper social innovations included insufficient knowledge and skills, environmental problems, resource problems, regulatory barriers, outdated ICT, troubleshooting problems, customer complaints, limited local materials, high cost of packaging materials and machines, limited technical know- how in ICT operations, and online account optimization difficulty. These innovations contributed to environmental sustainability and knowledge transfer to students and farmers. Even though the training programs conducted by LSAs were less than a year before the pandemic, all farmer trainees shared that they produced social innovations and derived benefits that could potentially reduce costs, increase income, and improve farm efficiency. The proposed framework to promote social innovations was presented to various stakeholders for validation and has been adopted in an externally funded project to promote social innovations among LSAs in the Bicol region.

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in in Development Studies

College

College of Public Affairs and Development (CPAf)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Rowena DT. Baconguis

Language

English

Location

UPLB College of Public Affairs and Development (CPAf)

Notes

Awards : Best thesis

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