Contrasting innovation networks in smallholder agricultural producer cooperatives: Insights from the Niayes Region of Senegal

Abstract Despite growing support for agricultural cooperatives as mechanisms for rural development, relatively little is known about how innovation spreads through, or is created within, the formal structure of a cooperative. This paper provides an ‘inside’ look at the social relationships operating within two agricultural cooperatives in rural Senegal (one well-functioning and the other poorly-functioning), focusing on self-reported innovation sharing and provisioning between members. Findings indicate that for both cooperatives, innovation was predominantly spread through formal vertical linkages (i.e. between hierarchal representatives), but was significantly controlled by key actors in leadership positions, resulting in large disparities in the innovation potential of different cooperative members. Social Network Analysis can help inform the design and evaluation of agricultural cooperatives by shifting the analysis to individual actors within the formal structure, potentially enabling new opportunities for enhanced cooperation to be identified and collectively strengthened.