Integrating Knowledge-Sharing Ecosystems and Financial Support for Agricultural Value Addition: An Assessment of The Nyota Fund Among Young Mango Farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Youth participation in agribusiness is increasingly positioned as a strategic lever for structural transformation, rural industrialization, and inclusive economic growth in developing economies. In Kenya, mango production presents significant opportunities for value addition, export diversification, and agro-processing-led development. However, young farmers continue to face multidimensional constraints, including limited access to financial capital, insufficient technical expertise, weak institutional coordination, fragmented extension systems, and inadequate integration into structured knowledge-sharing networks. While youth-targeted financial instruments such as the Nyota Fund have been introduced to enhance enterprise development, limited empirical research examines how embedded knowledge-sharing ecosystems within such funding mechanisms influence agricultural value addition outcomes. Grounded in Knowledge Management Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Innovation Diffusion Theory, this study conceptualizes value addition as an outcome of the dynamic interaction between financial capital, knowledge flows, institutional linkages, and collaborative learning systems. Employing a qualitative case study design complemented with document analysis and stakeholder interviews, the study evaluates training frameworks, extension support mechanisms, mentorship structures, digital knowledge platforms, peer-learning arrangements, and market linkage systems accessible to young mango farmers benefiting from the Fund. The study advances theoretical understanding by reframing financial support initiatives as integrated knowledge ecosystems rather than standalone funding instruments. It further proposes a systems-based model linking financial inclusion, knowledge exchange, innovation adoption, and market integration. The findings are expected to inform evidence-based policy reforms aimed at strengthening youthcentered agribusiness financing frameworks, enhancing value chain competitiveness, and promoting sustainable agro-industrial development in Kenya and comparable contexts.