In sub-Saharan Africa, there is increasing interest for the adaptation and use of the innovation systems approach to advance learning and development in the Agricultural Research and Development (ARD) sector. This crave is constrained by unavailability of a proven blue print that describe the paradigm shift from the linear approach and how such could function under different socio-economic, cultural and political climate.
The failure of the linear and non-participatory Agricultural Research and Development approaches to increase food security among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa has prompted researchers to introduce an Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) concept. The IAR4D concept uses Innovation Platforms (IPs) to embed agricultural research and development organizations in a network to undertake multidisciplinary and participatory research.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships network which is typified by the FARA-led Integrated Agriculture Research for Development (IAR4D) of the SSA-Challenge Program is an innovation platform (IP) composed of stakeholders bound together by their individual interests in a shared commodity or outcome. The result from such innovation platforms is largely influenced by the strength of the network. In this paper, similarities within and across platforms are assessed using the simple matching procedure. Results indicate consistency in conduct of Innovation Platform activities.
When designing projects, it is important to engage local stakeholders as early as possible to ensure that capacity development (CD) activities are truly relevant to their needs. Multi-Stakeholder processes (MSPs) can also lead to greater ownership of project activities and outcomes. This case study gives an example from Sudan of successful MSPs for developing Food Security and Nutrition Information Systems (FSNIS) in four states.
Lors de la conception de projets, il importe de faire intervenir les parties prenantes locales le plutôt possible afin de veiller à ce que les activités de renforcement des capacités répondent vraiment à leurs besoins. Les processus multipartites peuvent aussi mener à à une plus grande appropriation des activités et des résultantes des projets. La présente étude de cas offre un exemple de processus multipartite mis en place avec succès au Soudan pour renforcer les systèmes d’information sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition dans quatre États.
Bien que le nombre de personnes vivant au-dessous du seuil de pauvreté en Ouganda ait diminué de moitié cette dernière décennie, le taux de malnutrition a augmenté de 27 à 30 pour cent. Au cours de la même période, la consommation alimentaire journalière par habitant a reculé de 9,5 pour cent, ce qui représente une baisse des apports énergétiques alimentaires. Plusieurs raisons expliquent cette situation, mais selon le Plan d’action pour la nutrition de l’Ouganda (2011-2016) le manque de capacités est l’un des cinq principaux facteurs à l’origine de la persistance de la malnutrition.
This publication “School feeding and possibilities for direct purchases from family farming in Latin American countries” contributes to the articulation of the sectors involved with school feeding, in the search for alternatives for the institutionalization and strengthening of school feeding policies in the countries; it is also hoped that in the medium and long term SFPs can contribute to the human right to food (HRF) and to sustainable human development.
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.
This paper is the Report of the 25th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG), held in Rome on 26-30 September 2016.
The Committee on Agriculture is one of FAO’s Governing Bodies providing overall policy and regulatory guidance on issues relating to agriculture, livestock, food safety, nutrition, rural development and natural resource management. Established in 1971, the Committee has over 100 Member Nations and generally meets every two years, but may hold additional sessions if needed.
This article addresses the impact of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) on food security among smallholder farmers in three countries of southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi). Southern Africa has suffered continued hunger despite a myriad of technological interventions that have been introduced in agriculture to address issues of food security, as well as poverty alleviation.