Innovation systems can be defined in a variety of ways: they can be national, regional, sectoral, or technological. They all involve the creation, diffusion, and use of knowledge. Systems consist of components, relationships among these, and their characteristics or attributes. The focus of this paper is on the analytical and methodological issues arising from various system concepts. There are three issues that stand out as problematic. First, what is the appropriate level of analysis for the purpose at hand?
he agricultural sector is under increasing pressure to bridge a growing concern for hunger and economic deprivation. At the centre of discussion is increase in agricultural productivity at a scale increasingly complex. This complexity challenges the capacity of both extension workers, farmers, farming systems and even the environment. This means that what matters for agricultural development and achieving the above situation is the capability of people to be effective and productive economic agents. It is here that capacity building comes in.