Abstract

There have been many successful innovations in the field of agriculture to date, leading to increases in farmer productivity and production in many developed and developing countries. Agriculture plays an important role in the development of many developing nations; hence there is a need to focus on sustainability and increased agricultural productivity. Over the years school farms have been used as laboratories for agricultural practical training, for proving food crops for strengthening local economies and addressing food security issues in rural areas. School farms come in handy when it comes to teaching a variety of topics in agriculture, be it Crop Rotation, Mixed Cropping, Inter-Cropping, etc. and, whenever the school records bumper harvest, the pupils/ students can be fed from the produce, while proceeds from the ones sold can be used to develop the school. The farm environment is homely and costly, steering away from the institutional set up of school and instead encourages togetherness and an escape from the challenges of normal life. There is a critical need to increase the rate of innovation success in agriculture and agrifood systems, to address the so-called wicked problems plaguing agriculture associated with climate change and sustainability, as well as to match expectations in terms of adoption and value creation. School farms have received some attention from researchers in recent times in developing and developed countries. In that, aside the numerous benefits, school farms have become useful tools for driving sustainable development as they reduce malnutrition in school children by improving child nutrition, reducing hunger by increasing food availability for students and the local communities and improving rural economy and livelihoods. Unfortunately, school farms have not been exploited enough to serve its purpose as desired due to a number of challenges such as lack of competent staff, lack of comprehensive policy framework, lack of infrastructural support and strategic partnership with concerned stakeholders. These set backs however, by observation should not be treated in isolation neither are they peculiar to individual schools or institutions. A holistic involvement of government and private institutions with local communities working in tandem with each other has a potential to incite interesting result-oriented techniques for school farms' success. On this basis therefore this study seeks to discuss essential innovative techniques and relevant rudiments necessary to successfully operate school farms.