Strengthening capacities for effective agricultural innovation systems in the tropics
Innovation plays a key role in spurring the transformation of the agriculture sector to meet and enhance food security and nutrition, resilience and livelihoods of millions of family farmers. However, in low-income and lower-middle income countries, the capacities to harness the potential of innovation are very limited, owing to, among other things, poor and underperforming agricultural innovation systems (AIS). AIS approaches represent a paradigm shift from linear and top-down model of technology transfer towards a system approach to agricultural innovation. Capacity-development (CD) interventions for strengthening AIS are seldom top-down, implemented in isolation, too small in scale and narrow in scope, focus solely on individual capacities, and neglect institutional, organizational and enabling environment dimensions.
Against this background, Agrinatura and FAO partnered with funding from EU to strengthen capacities in Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Rwanda through this project. The expected outcome was “agricultural innovation systems are efficient and sustainable in meeting demands of farmers, agribusiness and consumers”. Its specific objective was to establish “a global partnership on capacity development in agricultural innovation systems on a sustainable footing, with needs assessed and approaches validated in eight pilot countries”.
Resultados obtenidos
At the global level, the project supported a global mechanism (the Tropical Agriculture Platform [TAP]) to promote, coordinate and evaluate CD interventions. The project supported and facilitated a global conversation on CD for AIS through the TAP; as well as the validation of the Common Framework on Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (CDAIS) developed in the context of the TAP. Through the process, a set of tools were developed to support capacity-strengthening activities at country level.
At national level, the project strengthened capacities of national actors and organizations and platforms at various levels (national and local), through a five-stage operational cycle. It also facilitated marketplace and policy dialogue events.
Repercusiones
The project interventions contributed to strengthening the capacities to innovate of actors of the AIS, in order to achieve their development objectives within the innovation system. About 5 000 rural farmers and development actors enhanced production and commercialization of farm products, improved incomes, or produced more nutritious foods. Value chain actors supported by the action gained access to markets and were able to negotiate better prices for their products. Most of the actors acknowledged being empowered by the project, as highlighted in the “stories of change” and “conversations of change”.