Inadequate feed and nutrition are major constraints to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. National and international research agencies, including the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), have developed several feed production and utilisation technologies. However, adoption of these technologies has so far been low. Identification of the major socio-economic and policy factors influencing the adoption of improved feed technologies is required to help design policy and institutional interventions to improve adoption.
La seconde conférence triennale du Forum Global de la Recherche Agricole s’est tenue à Dakar, Sénégal du 22 au 24 mai 2003 (GFAR 2003). Le thème de la conférence était Recherche agricole et innovation rurale au service du développement durable. Le sujet de la conférence était de circonstance en raison de l’attention actuelle du monde sur les questions liées au développement durable et à la recherche en matière d’innovation des processus.
El tema de la Segunda Conferencia Trienal del Foro Global de Investigación Agropecuaria (GFAR) que se celebró en Dakar, Senegal, del 22 al 24 de mayo 2003 (GFAR 2003) versó sobre la Investigación Agrícola y la Innovación Rural en pro del Desarrollo Sostenible. Fue realmente un tema adecuado dado el objetivo global actual y la atención sobre los aspectos del desarrollo sostenible así como el aumento de interés por la investigación en los procesos innovadores.
Ce document examine les approches suivies actuellement en ce qui concerne le renforcement des capacités commerciales dans les pays africains. Ce but est de:
Identifier des mécanismes permettant de promouvoir un processus de formulation de la politique commerciale de type participatif et de l’intégrer dans les stratégies nationales de développement et de lutte contre la pauvret.
Etudier le rôle que pourraient jouer les donneurs en facilitant et en soutenant le processus d’élaboration de la politique commerciale.
Le présent document inclut les sections suivantes :
• La description des politiques et stratégies du Bénin dans les domaines du développement et de la réduction de la pauvreté, en particulier en vue de l’amélioration des conditions de vie des groupes vulnérables, dont les femmes rurales. Les politiques et stratégies qui orientent le développement du secteur agricole et rural sont aussi décrites, essentiellement eu égard aux aspects intéressant les groupes vulnérables, notamment les femmes rurales (Chapitre 3).
This briefing paper aims to raise debate about agricultural information management (AIM) in the CORAF region. It draws attention to initiatives concerned with AIM and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from global to local levels. Using these examples, we pose questions as to what AIM is, highlight some key dilemmas, and some promising initiatives that may provide inspiration for debate about information in development. The paper is part of the SCARDA Inception Report Volume 3. Briefing Paper, FARA (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa), Accra, Ghana (2008).
This paper develops a quantitative, graph-theoretic method for analysing systems of institutions. With an application to the agricultural innovation system of Azerbaijan, the method is illustrated in detail. An assessment of existing institutional linkages in the system suggests that efforts should be placed on the development of intermediary institutions to facilitate quick and effective flow of knowledge between the public and the private components of the system.
This paper is an attempt to take stock of the authors' work. In Section 2, the authors reflect upon the emergence and fairly rapid diffusion of the concept ‘national system of innovation’ as well as related concepts. In Section 3, they describe how the Aalborg-version of the concept evolved by a combination of ideas that moved from production structure towards including all elements and relationships contributing to innovation and competence building.
The paper explores the implications of rural livelihood diversity for agricultural innovation policies. It summarises literature on the nature of rural poverty, with particular emphasis on the relative roles of farm and non-farm income. It also reviews the various roles, direct and indirect, that agricultural innovation can play in rural poverty reduction. Finally, it uses an agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS) perspective to argue for a differentiated approach to targeting agricultural innovations, based on an analysis of rural assets.
In times of market liberalization and structural adjustment, the agricultural sectors of developing countries face profound changes. To seize new market opportunities, farmers need to innovate. In order to innovate, farmers need new technologies and information on how to access and manage them, as well as better support services for the delivery of inputs and knowledge, and better infrastructure for delivering produce to the market.