The Farmer Field School (FFS) approach has been very successful and witnessed a strong expansion in many areas beyond crop production. Notwithstanding this success, the adoption of FFS in national extension often remains problematic and FFS activities have often been implemented in the margin of national institutions with strong reliance on donor funding. The creation of an enabling environment for institutional support is essential for expanding the effort, improving quality, and strengthening impact and continuity of the FFSs.
This situation analysis report provides a snapshot of the regional and subregional policies and frameworks that support biofortification and the organizations implementing various nutrition- sensitive initiatives. The report identifies some ongoing initiatives that are relevant to the The Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) Project mandate and that can be aligned to its activities to facilitate its starting up and scaling up. The report recommends the key actions necessary to facilitate increased investment in and scaling up of biofortified crops in sub-Saharan Africa.
The purpose of the paper, using a comprehensive innovation systems failure framework, is to assess the performance of agrifood innovation systems of Scotland and the Netherlands, through analysis of the key innovation actors (organisations, networks or influential individuals), and their key functions (research provider, intermediary etc), and those mechanisms that either facilitate or hinder the operation of the IS (known as inducing and blocking mechanisms, respectively).
Indicator-based tools are widely used for the assessment of farm sustainability, but analysts still face methodological and conceptual issues, including data availability, the complexity of the concept of sustainability and the heterogeneity of agricultural systems. This study contributes to this debate through the illustration of a procedure for farm sustainability assessment focussed on the case study of the South Milan Agricultural Park, Italy. The application is based on a set of environmental, social and economic indicators retrieved from the literature review.
This report introduces the reader to the concept of agricultural innovation systems (AIS) and the TAP-AIS project being implemented by FAO in nine countries, including Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The results of the AIS assessment for Lao PDR are presented, highlighting key barriers and opportunities for agricultural innovation in the country.
Esta tesis expone un análisis de la cadena de valor del cacao, en su contexto internacional - nacional, y de la cadena de valor de una organización de segundo grado, como UNOCACE, en un marco de tiempo de diez años (2002 – 2012). Los elementos de estudio se basaron en la metodología de acción colectiva de Julio Berdegué y la plataforma RURALTER. Con el fin de exponer el rol determinante de la acción colectiva en las cadenas productivas.
El aceite de palma es estigmatizado en los mercados mundiales debido a problemas derivados de prácticas de establecimiento que han ocasionado la devastación de grandes extensiones de bosques tropicales en el sudeste de Asia. Este estigma es especialmente evidente en países desarrollados, en donde los consumidores exigen productos respetuosos del medio ambiente. Dicha situación impuso la necesidad de certificar si el aceite de palma que llega a los mercados de altos ingresos proviene de plantaciones que llevan a cabo prácticas sostenibles.
This paper outlines key areas of intervention that are identified as the core of FAO's strategy on strengthening Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) across multiple areas of work (e.g. research and extension, agroecology, biotechnology, green jobs, resourcing etc.) for achieving sustainable rural development.
El proyecto “Alianza para la Creación de Oportunidades de Desarrollo Rural a través de Relaciones Agroempresariales” (ACORDAR) tiene como objetivo contribuir a incrementar los ingresos, asegurar empleo permanente y fortalecer las capacidades comerciales de 5400 familias pobres del área rural en 44 municipios, en alianza con los gobiernos municipales y el sector privado.
Dans le besoin urgent de lutter contre le changement climatique, une priorité essentielle est de renforcer la capacité de ces groupes et communautés les plus vulnérables, et déjà fortement affectés, à améliorer leur capacité à adapter leurs systèmes de subsistance.