This insightful article sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in their adoption of innovative agricultural practices like push-pull technology (PPT). While such technologies are often promoted as solutions to climate and pest-related challenges, this study highlights a crucial reality: the success of these practices hinges on understanding the dynamic decisions and evolving motivations of farmers themselves.

By exploring the experiences of farmers in Western Kenya, the research underscores how innovation is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. Farmers adapt and modify practices like PPT to align with their unique contexts, influenced by factors such as cultural food preferences, resource availability, market demands, and social networks. Their decisions are shaped by a web of interconnected realities, including land tenure, livestock ownership, and access to information and inputs.

The findings advocate for a shift from technocentric approaches to inclusive, participatory processes that empower farmers as co-creators of solutions. Long-term collaboration and flexibility for local adaptation are essential to ensure that innovations like PPT resonate with the needs and realities of the communities they aim to serve. This perspective offers valuable lessons for agricultural development initiatives striving to support resilience and sustainability in the region.