Con el fin de brindar experiencias, el presente trabajo se desarrolló en fincas de campesinos de La Palma, Pinar del Río, y Urbano Noris, Holguín, dos localidades fuertemente afectadas por la sequía y salinidad en nuestro país. En ambas comunidades, los productores e investigadores han experimentado diferentes alternativas, las cuales transcurren desde sistemas simples para la captura de agua de lluvia hasta la introducción de diversidad en distintos cultivos y nuevas variedades tolerantes a las condiciones locales.
El objetivo del trabajo es realizar un análisis de los diversos procesos de innovación en la producción local integrada de alimentos y energía en el medio rural cubano en el contexto del proyecto Biomas-Cuba. Para la identificación y la valoración del proceso de innovación local en la producción integrada de alimento y energía (PIAE), se establecieron tres preguntas: 1) ¿qué procesos de innovación se han desarrollado o introducido?, 2) ¿en qué ha consistido la vinculación?, y 3) ¿cuáles han sido los aprendizajes clave?
América Latina es una región muy heterogénea en términos de los niveles de desarrollo de los países y la madurez de sus SNI. Sin embargo, la región tiene una característica común que cruza desde la Patagonia hasta el Río Grande y desde el Pacífico hasta el Atlántico: es muy desigual socialmente hablando. Después de décadas de esfuerzos por avanzar más rá-pidamente en la senda del desarrollo, América Latina sigue siendo la región más desigual del mundo.
Early applications of the innovation systems framework to developing-country agriculture suggest opportunities for more intensive and extensive analysis. There is ample scope for empirical studies to make greater use of the theoretical content available in the literature, and to employ more diverse methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative. Further, there is room to improve the relevance of empirical studies to the analysis of public policies that support science, technology, and innovation, as well as to policies that promote poverty reduction and economic growth.
This paper traces the evolution of the innovation systems framework within the agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, and presents a conceptual framework for agricultural innovation systems. The difference between innovation ecology/ecosystems and intervention-based innovations systems is highlighted, given that these two concepts are used at different levels in promoting and sustaining agricultural innovations.
Argentine agriculture has undergone significant transformations over the past three decades. After a long period of stagnant production and productivity, starting in the early 1970s, a number of independent but interconnected events fostered a new technological cycle that induced rapid growth in cereals and oilseeds production. Zero tillage and the introduction of genetically modified soybean varieties were key elements of this change. Argentina reached a leading position across agricultural commodity markets.
This Thematic Research Note reviews the evolution of collective action among smallholders. It assesses determinants of their success such as incentives, capacities, and social impediments. The Note also discusses lessons and options for future action. These include lessons from collective action for market participation by African smallholders, value chain penetration by developed country farmers, and natural resources management among pastoralist communities.
The article provides a conceptual framework and discusses research methods for analyzing pluralistic agricultural advisory services. The framework can also assist policy-makers in identifying reform options. It addresses the following question: Which forms of providing and financing agricultural advisory services work best in which situation? The framework ‘disentangles’ agricultural advisory services by distinguishing between (1) governance structures, (2) capacity, (3) management, and (4) advisory methods.
This paper takes a closer look at innovation systems, including the various actors involved, their interrelationships, and governance mechanisms. Innovation systems operate at different levels, in terms of structure, functioning, and performance at the national level, and from two different angles: as a macrostructure that involves different functions and key organizations working on these functions, and as the composite of different innovation networks comprising individuals and local and national organizations.
Public-private partnerships are a new way of carrying out research and development (R&D) in Latin America's agricultural sector. These partnerships spur innovation for agricultural development and have various advantages over other institutional arrangements fostering R&D. This report summarizes the experiences of a research project that analyzed 125 public-private research partnerships (PPPs) in 12 Latin American countries. The analysis indicates that several types of partnerships have emerged in response to the various needs of the different partners.