In the heart of Montpellier, France, a team of researchers led by Kevin Daudin from the University of Montpellier is tackling a pressing challenge in the agricultural sector: the underutilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in irrigation systems, particularly among smallholder farmers. Their work, recently published in the journal *Agricultural Water Management* (translated to English as *Agricultural Water Management*), offers a unique perspective on how researchers can adapt their practices to better serve farmers’ needs through a “low-tech” co-innovation approach.
The team’s multi-country action-research project involved several on-farm experimentations, all under an overarching “low-tech” approach. This method focuses on making technologies more accessible and adaptable to local contexts, a crucial factor in increasing the adoption of ICTs in irrigation. “Co-innovation through a ‘low-tech’ approach can increase the fit of technologies to end users’ needs and help farmers to make, maintain and reproduce technological objects,” Daudin explains.
The researchers documented their experiences through qualitative interviews, assessing the interplay between local contexts, technologies, and facilitation processes. They found that adapting technology to micro-desires and microenvironments can restore economic and social accessibility, but it also requires a significant amount of information and facilitation work. This process can be challenging for researchers, as they must continually adapt their technological interventions to the social and environmental conditions.
Daudin’s team highlights the potential of low-tech approaches to address irrigation efficiency challenges. However, they also acknowledge the need for researchers to adjust, relocate efforts, and develop new facilitating skills. “This research raises questions about how to drive change in complex contexts while respecting strictly limited timelines,” Daudin notes.
The findings of this study could have significant implications for the energy sector, particularly in areas where water scarcity is a growing concern. By improving the efficiency of irrigation systems, ICTs can help reduce water usage and, consequently, the energy required for water pumping and treatment. Moreover, the low-tech approach advocated by Daudin and his team could make these technologies more accessible to smallholder farmers, potentially increasing their adoption and impact.
As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity, the work of Daudin and his team offers a promising path forward. By fostering a more adaptive and inclusive approach to technological innovation, they are helping to ensure that the benefits of ICTs are more widely shared, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector.