Evelyne Njuguna

Biography

Evelyne Njuguna, Kenya

Evelyne has been a doctoral researcher at the Division of Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development since October 2020. She is a recipient of a DAAD scholarship under the International PhD Programme in Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy and Sustainable Food Systems (IPPAE). Her PhD project deals with the digitalization of agriculture in developing countries. Using Kenya as a case study, she examines how digital tools can address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers and how better governance conditions can foster the adoption of digital tools. Furthermore, her research examines the role of digital tools in promoting knowledge and good practice in soil fertility management among smallholder farmers.

Prior to pursuing her PhD, Evelyne worked for the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), the University of Nairobi and at Dodore Kenya Ltd. She has more than nine years of experience in social science research, including the design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative research projects. She has worked with both private and public institutions. Evelyne holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

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Ph.D. Research Project: Exploring the potential of digital tools as a catalyst to agricultural transformation in Kenya

Kenya continues to rely heavily on the agricultural sector yet its annual average agricultural productivity growth rate has stagnated in the last fifty years. At the same time, the country has positioned itself as a leading agri-tech hub among low and middle-income countries. This study takes a closer look into the digital tools at the disposal of farmers, and analyses their abilities based on categorization criteria. Hypothesizing that impact is higher as the digital tools become “smarter” with tailor-made services, the study narrows to focus on sophisticated tools to determine if services offered are translating to knowledge and practices and also examine changes resulting from smart farming.