Grants for agricultural innovation are common but grant funds specifically targeted to smallholder farmers remain relatively rare. Nevertheless, they are receiving increasing recognition as a promising venue for agricultural innovation. They stimulate smallholders to experiment with improved practices, to become proactive and to engage with research and extension providers. The systematic review covered three modalities of disbursing these grants to smallholder farmers and their organisations: vouchers, competitive grants and farmer-led innovation support funds.
This publication contains twelve modules which cover a selection of major reform measures in agricultural extension being promulgated and implemented internationally, such as linking farmers to markets, making advisory services more demand-driven, promoting pluralistic advisory systems, and enhancing the role of advisory services within agricultural innovation systems.
African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa can feed itself in a generation and help contribute to global food security. To achieve this Africa has to define agriculture as a force in economic growth by: advancing scientific and technological research; investing in infrastructure; fostering higher technical training; and creating regional markets.
A lo largo de su historia, los servicios de Extensión y Asistencia Técnica en América Latina y el Caribe han sido un instrumento focalizado, mayormente, hacia la pequeña agricultura como una forma de mejorar las condiciones de vida en el entorno rural y llevar tecnologías (conocimientos) que sirvan no solo para aumentar la productividad, sino que devengan en un motor del desarrollo y un medio para alcanzar la seguridad alimentaria.
This research explores the role of innovation platforms and how they relate to IAR4D and the innovation system perspective, with treatment both at the theoretical and case study level (Africa). The chapters of the book take up several sticky issues and engage with them critically: policy pathways, gender equity and inclusion, and knowledge and information sharing. The introductory chapter provides context on food crops, food security and the importance of women in production, processing and trade.
This publication contains the compilation of different innovations generated on the plantain commodities from various Innovation Platforms. Its gives a succinct description of the commodity, its agronomy, production techniques, production trends, the role of the commodity in food chain and other traditional uses. The uses of the commodities and data on nutritional content etc. it also explicate the production processing and marketing constraints that could be manipulated to ensure increase in productivity and income.
The IAR4D concept has generated a large volume of success stories on many Innovation Platforms where it was implemented for the proof of concept and on the platforms of Complementary projects. It is noteworthy that in course of developing the IAR4D concept FARA engaged is series of trial efforts to arrive at a valid framework for the implementation of the IAR4D concept, the Innovation platform was developed from these thoughts and harmonization of knowledge and experience.
This publication provides a collection of papers, commentaries, expert opinions and reflections on state-of-the-art innovation systems thinking and approaches in agriculture. It is the direct output of a CTA and WUR/CoS-SIS collaboration which had its genesis in an expert consultation on ‘Innovation Systems: Towards Effective Strategies in support of Smallholder Farmers’.
Este Libro describe experiencias de extensión y investigación participativa en México. Describe la origen, fundamentos teóricos, objetivos, caracteristicas y acciones básicas, alcances y limitaciones así como la importancia de la investigación participativa en los procesos y modelos de desarrollo. Trae una propuesta metodológica y experiencias obtenidas en cuatro estados mexicanos.
Este documento describe la experiencia del establecimiento de Módulos Demostrativos Forrajeros (MDF) con productores de diferentes Asociaciones Ganaderas Locales del estado (AGL); el propósito fue establecer especies forrajeras e innovaciones tecnológicas para la siembra, manejo, conservación y su utilización en la alimentación animal, que sirvieran de espacios demostrativos para los productores ganaderos, extensionistas, estudiantes y funcionarios del sector.