This paper argues that impact assessment research has not made more of a difference because the measurement of the economic impact has poor diagnostic power. In particular it fails to provide research managers with critical institutional lessons concerning ways of improving research and innovation as a process. Paper's contention is that the linear input-output assumptions of economic assessment need to be complemented by an analytical framework that recognizes systems of reflexive, learning interactions and their location in, and relationship with, their institutional context.
This paper reviews a recent donor-funded project concerning the introduction of post-harvest technology to poor hill farmers in India. Rather than conform to conventional development aid projects of either a “research” or an “interventionist” nature, it combines both approaches in a research-action program, which has more in common with a business development approach than a formal social science one. An important conclusion is that the work (and apparent success) of the project is consistent with an understanding of development that emphasizes the importance of innovation systems.
Motivated by donor interest in innovative thinking on food security, the authors conducted an interdisciplinary, triangulation analysis of four divergent conceptual frameworks, each relevant to diagnosing food insecurity in developing countries. They found notable tensions as well as synergistic interactions between agroecology, agricultural innovation systems, social–ecological systems, and political ecology. Cross-framework interactions enhance our understanding of how sectoral and macro-economic development strategies impact on livelihoods, availability, and access.
Innovation platforms (IPs) are a way of organizing multistakeholder interactions, marshalling ideas, people and resources to address challenges and opportunities embedded in complex settings. The approach has its roots in theories of complexity, the concept of innovation systems and practices of participatory action research. IPs have been widely adopted across Africa and beyond in recent years as a “must have” tool in a range of “for development” modes of agricultural research.
There are divergent views on what capacity development might mean in relation to agricultural biotechnology. The core of this debate is whether this should involve the development of human capital and research infrastructure, or whether it should encompass a wider range of activities which also include developing the capacity to use knowledge productively. This paper uses the innovation systems concept to shed light on this discussion, arguing that it is innovation capacity rather than science and technology capacity that has to be developed.
Este libro ha sido elaborado con el objetivo de brindar información clave que permita conocer el estado de la gestión, tanto empresarial como socio-organizativa, de Empresas Rurales Asociativas según sus capitales humano, social, físico, natural, económico y comercial.
Este libro tiene como objetivos: analizar los componentes de la cadena productiva o de valor de cacao de Honduras por medio del mapeo de cadenas para actualizar la información del sector: Identificar el rol de la mujer en cada uno de los eslabones de la cadena de cacao hondureña yDeterminar las principales limitaciones (cuellos de botella) que presenta actualmente la cadena productiva o de valor de cacao de Honduras.
Este estudio apunta a reducir estas brechas de conocimiento al generar información clave que muestre de una forma clara un mapa de la cadena productiva de banano criollo a nivel nacional con los principales actores, además de identificar los principales cuellos de botella que están afectando la eficiencia actual de la cadena. Para esto se está trabajando con dos casos de estudio la Asociación de Pequeños Productores de Talamanca (APPTA) y la Asociación de Campesinos Productores Orgánicos (ACAPRO).
Este documento describe un estudio que pretende ayudar a establecer una cultura de Planificación Estratégica en las empresas agrícolas y contribuir así a la meta de aumentar las ganancias para los agronegocios propuesta a través del uso del Análisis Estratégico. Primero usando un análisis FODA para abordar los diagnósticos; el resultado de lo cual permite la generación de un plan estratégico para la empresa y, finalmente, el diseño de la propuesta de Balanced Scorecard.