The agricultural innovation system can be strengthened by increasing the learning capacity of research and field organisations. Participatory methods were developed to study three dimensions of the capacity of such organisations in Nicaragua to access and analyse information, highly correlated to learning capacity – the individual routines of their professionals, the formal procedures of the organisation and the organisation's use of collaborative projects to strengthen core operations.
In an effort to raise incomes and increase resilience of smallholder farmers and their families in Feed the Future1 (FTF) countries, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded the Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project. This project is led by Digital Green in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CARE International (CARE) and multiple resource partners.
La agricultura en Nicaragua ha seguido un modelo convencional que ha utilizado insumos inorgánicos y pesticidas, contaminando suelos, agua y el medio ambiente, especialmente en zonas afectadas por el monocultivo de algodón en los noventa. Para transformar este sistema hacia una producción sostenible y respetuosa con el medio ambiente, se creó una iniciativa agroecológica en el norte del país, en una zona declarada parque municipal. Este proyecto buscó cambiar el enfoque de la agricultura convencional a la agroecología, mediante una plataforma público-privada liderada por la Alcaldía.