Change in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is not easily understood in terms of Western innovation discourses. In fact, innovations in the sense of modern and growth-oriented technologies are common sources for the erosion of TEK. This article brings together current literatures on TEK and innovation studies in addressing questions about the governance of socio-ecological change
The drylands of the Global South are facing challenges from human population growth, unsustainable land-management practices, and climate change. Such problems are complex and can no longer be adequately addressed using traditional, top-down means. Rather, increased reliance on public participation is needed to better identify key research questions and interventions that promote positive change. Major actors in these approaches would include communities, applied researchers, outreach agents, policy makers, and planners working in tandem.
Small actors in agricultural value chains are tied to markets through a series of forward and backward business linkages, which incorporate various types of business models. The complexity of these business models varies according to the commodity, number of actors involved, local context and market structure.
Estas directrices, en el Marco de Referencia para el Desarrollo de Cadenas de Valor Sensibles al Género, están destinadas principalmente a ayudar a profesionales a diseñar e implementar intervenciones que brinden a mujeres y hombres las mismas oportunidades de beneficiarse del desarrollo dela cadena de valor agroalimentaria.
La literatura de los intermediarios que participan en el proceso de innovación les atribuye la capacidad de cerrar brechas y disminuir los costos de transacción entre actores exploradores y explotadores de conocimiento, siendo esta interacción vital para que exista un sistema de innovación. Sin embargo, no hay un consenso en la literatura respecto al impacto real de los intermediarios en el sistema en el que actúan.
Este trabajo examina varios campos de investigación usados para abordar el fenómeno de la intermediación tecnológica en innovación, en los cuales hay argumentos a favor y en contra del desarrollo de tales agentes, siendo la dificultad de medir el impacto de la intermediación la principal barrera para llegar a un acuerdo. Este es un tema complejo dadas las dificultades de atribución del impacto, lo que explica la aparición de estudios que buscan contribuir a resolver este problema metodológico.
Recently, increasing attention has been paid to intermediaries, actors connecting multiple other actors, in transition processes. Research has highlighted that intermediary actors (e.g. innovation funders, energy agencies, NGOs, membership organisations, or internet discussion forums) operate in many levels to advance transitions. The authors argue that intermediation, and the need for it, varies during the course of transition. Yet, little explicit insight exists on intermediation in different transition phases.
Intermediary actors have been proposed as key catalysts that speed up change towards more sustainable socio-technical systems. Research on this topic has gradually gained traction since 2009, but has been complicated by the inconsistency regarding what intermediaries are in the context of such transitions and which activities they focus on, or should focus on. This study briefly elaborates on the conceptual foundations of the studies of intermediaries in transitions, and how intermediaries have been connected to different transition theories.
The use of digital technologies has been recognized as one of the great challenges for businesses of the 21st century. This digitalization is characterized by the intensive use of information technologies in the different stages of the value chain of a sector. In this context, smart agriculture is transforming the agricultural sector in terms of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
This brochure summarizes key results of the work done by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the center (1970-2020).