The authors engaged in iterative cycles of mixed methods research around particular questions, actions relevant to stakeholders, new proposal formulation and implementation followed by evaluation of impacts. Capacity building occurred among farmers, technical personnel, and students from multiple disciplines. Involvement of research users occurred throughout: women and men farmers, non-governmental development organizations, Ministries of Health and Agriculture, and, in Ecuador, the National Council on Social Participation
One option for practically applying innovation systems thinking involves the establishment of innovation platforms (IPs). Such platforms are designed to bring together a variety of different stakeholders to exchange knowledge and resources and take action to solve common problems. Yet relatively little is known about how IPs operate in practice, particularly how power dynamics influence platform processes.This paper focuses on a research-for-development project in the Ethiopian highlands which established three IPs for improved natural resource management.
Este documento presenta los resultados de la primera parte de la consultoría realizada para el RIMISP-Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural. El objetivo de la consultoría es: “contar con un análisis sobre productividad de la ganadería de carne de la Costa del Ecuador, tanto por hectárea, como por persona empleada, diferenciando por niveles tecnológicos y tipos de productores.
El objetivo del proyecto es contribuir al fortalecimiento de la institucionalidad relacionada con el desarrollo de las capacidades agroempresariales y organizativas de los productores y agroempresarios para vincularse de manera rentable, sostenible y competitiva al mercado en Ecuador, Guatemala y Paraguay
El resultado de un análisis de la cadena de valor en el sector agrícola son insumos para formular y establecer políticas de desarrollo rural, más aún cuando la intermediación hace que el flujo de mercancías sea extenso y se producen sobre precios lo que resta competencia y valor a los productos agrícolas.
Depuis une dizaine d’années, SOS Faim développe avec ses partenaires latino-américains, une nouvelle stratégie pour endiguer la pauvreté rurale : le développement territorial rural (DTR). On peut définir le DTR comme étant une dynamique d’animation et de concertation entre acteurs publics et privés (entre autres les Organisations Paysannes) sur un territoire donné, en vue d’améliorer durablement les conditions économiques et sociales de sa population.
This paper draws from interviews with (1) US farmers who have adopted automated systems; (2) individuals employed by North American firms that engineer, manufacture, and/or repair these technologies; and (3) US farm laborers (immigrant and domestic) and representatives from farm labor organizations. The argument draws from the literature interrogating the fictional expectations that underlie capitalist reproduction, reading it through a distributed (ontological) lens.
The inadequate linkage of knowledge generation in agricultural research organizations with policy-making and economic activity is an important barrier to sustainable development and poverty reduction. The emerging fields of sustainability science and innovation systems studies highlight the importance of “boundary management” and “innovation brokering” in linking knowledge production, policy-making, and economic activities. This paper analyzes how the Papa Andina Partnership Program, based at the International Potato Center, functions as an innovation broker in the Andean potato sector.
This paper (Part I) present a case study of work conducted by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to adapt network mapping techniques to a rural and developing country context. It reports on work in Colombia to develop a prototype network diagnosis tool for use by service providers who work to strengthen small rural groups. It is complemented by a further paper in this issue by Louise Clark (Part II) which presents work to develop a network diagnosis tool for stakeholders involved in agricultural supply chains in Bolivia.
Innovations generally arise out of a network of actors and relationships and network structure determines how effective networks are at fostering innovation. This paper (Part II) presents work to develop a network diagnosis tool for stakeholders involved in agricultural supply chains in Bolivia. The prototype method used is based on social network analysis methodology. This paper concludes with a final section to identify lessons learnt and makes recommendations for future research.