Automation of essential processes in agriculture is becoming widespread, especially when fast action is required. However, some processes that could greatly benefit from some degree of automation have such difficult characteristics, that even small improvements pose a great challenge. This is the case of fish disease diagnosis, a problem of great economic, social and ecological interest. Difficult problems like this often require a interdisciplinary approach to be tackled properly, as multifaceted issues can greatly benefit from the inclusion of different perspectives.
While much has been written about the importance of mainstreaming gender in agricultural value chains (and the challenges inherent in doing so), relatively few studies have provided details on cases in which gender integration 1 has been successful. This study, therefore, presents a collection of experiences in which rural advisory services (RAS) were able to successfully mainstream gender into agricultural value chains, categorised in terms of “best-fit practices”.
For agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS), social media presents a huge scope not just to communicate to the farmers better and with efficiency, but also to act as innovation brokers in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS). And not just for the organizations, social media has made it easier for farmers to communicate with extension professionals, experts and peers in real time. And with this increased potential to share views and ideas and easy access to information, discretion becomes important for organizations to maintain professionalism in a new social world.
This brochure is on the Virtual Extension and Research Information and Communication Network (VERCON), a conceptual model that any country can use and adapt to improve access to agricultural information and knowledge sharing and to strengthen the linkages between rural institutions and individuals, using information and communication technologies.
Cette brochure présente le réseau virtuel de communication pour la vulgarisation et la recherche (VERCON), qui est un modèle conceptuel que tout pays peut utiliser et adapter pour améliorer l’accès à l’information agricole et le partage des connaissances, ainsi que pour renforcer les interactions entre les personnes et les institutions du monde rural. Pour cela, le réseau a recours aux technologies de l’information et de la communication.
Este folleto presenta la red virtual de comunicación sobre la extensión y la investigación (VERCON), que es un modelo conceptual que cualquier país puede utilizar y adaptar para mejorar el acceso a la información agropecuaria y el intercambio de conocimientos, así como para reforzar los vínculos entre las personas y las instituciones del mundo rural, utilizando las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación.
This document is intended to serve as a resource for assessing capacity needs in a project or programme. A capacity needs assessment (CNA) is a process for identifying a project’s perceptions (through staff, partners and stakeholders) on various capacity areas that impact the work they do. The process helps identify challenges and opportunities for enhancing key skills thereby enhancing the project’s ability to achieve its objectives. The overall goal of a CNA is to determine the gap between required and existing capacities.
The Newsletter of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) provides regular updates on global activities by TAP and its partners, on the EU funded CDAIS project (jointly implemented by FAO and Agrinatura) and on upcoming related events. This issue specifically refers to the period from January to May 2018.
Les systèmes d’innovation (SI) ont inspiré de nombreuses publications, notamment dans les pays industrialisés et, plus récemment, dans le monde en développement. Toutefois, à quelques exceptions près, la littérature dédiée aux SI n’explique pas de manière appropriée comment utiliser l’approche systémique pour améliorer l’innovation ou comment initier et faciliter les SI. Par ailleurs, si l’innovation elle-même semble avoir été suffisamment étudiée, son intégration dans un système qui, à son tour, opère dans certains contextes institutionnels et politiques, n’a pas été approfondie.
Estas cartillas han sido producidas en el marco del Proyecto “Innovaciones institucionales para el apoyo a la gestión de procesos comerciales de la Agricultura Familiar y su vinculación con los mercados”, que se desarrolló de forma simultánea en Chile, Perú y la Argentina entre los años 2014 y 2016. Este proyecto fue financiado por el Fondo Concursable para la Cooperación Técnica del IICA (FonCT) con contrapartes gubernamentales en los tres casos. El proyecto parte de identificar tres problemas específicos con relación a la comercialización de los agricultores familiares: