Knowledge management in the agriculture sector: a systematic literature review

The agriculture sector is becoming increasingly important, with knowledge management (KM) seen as a vital component. This paper uses a systematic literature review of 44 peer-reviewed publications, in KM and non-KM journals, to examine how KM processes are used in agricultural research. Studies were mostly published in non-KM journals resulting in an absence of KM theory. Three key themes were identified as important for KM research in agriculture: stakeholder heterogeneity, informality of contexts and the presence of indigenous knowledge. All three themes affected the processes of knowledge creation, codification, transfer, sharing, and application. While agriculture provides a unique context for KM research, there is a need for a more nuanced understanding of how KM can be applied to create a future research framework that can be cumulatively built upon. To help achieve this, the paper also identifies several research gaps and suggests future research directions.