The United Nations envisions that, by 2050, almost 70 percent of the global growing population will be living in urban areas, especially in small cities and towns within Africa and Asia. This will mean more people to feed in these cities, as well as the risk of nutrition problems and increased levels of obesity associated with changes in diet and lifestyle. In this context, agriculture will need to produce more nutritious food while competing for ever scarcer natural resources and struggling with the effects of climate change. Furthermore, the world is facing recent critical events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the fuel crisis, both of which highlight the need for resilient agrifood systems in both urban and rural areas. As a result, urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), practices that are centuries-old, are growing in importance as a means of helping to ensure the food security and livelihoods of urban dwellers. UPA can yield numerous benefits, but comes with challenges, as it is practised within the context of a high competition for natural resources, especially land. Furthermore, its practitioners – urban dwellers or migrants – often lack the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed. Given the growing importance of UPA, the integrated services for innovation (ISI) must adapt and be enabled to serve urban and peri-urban producers and other agrifood actors.
This report explores three different scenarios for the future of food and agriculture, based on alternative trends for key drivers, such as income growth and distribution, population growth, technical progress in agriculture, and climate change. Building on the report The future of food and agriculture – Trends and challenges, this publication provides scenario-based quantitative projections to 2050 for food and agriculture. Quantitative evidence and qualitative assessments, shed light on possible strategic options for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of eradicating hunger, improving nutrition and ensuring that food and agricultural sectors become economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
This report aims at inspiring strategic thinking and actions to transform agrifood systems towards a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future, by building on both previous reports in the same series as well as on a comprehensive corporate strategic foresight exercise that also nurtured FAO Strategic Framework 2022–31. It analyses major drivers of agrifood systems and explores how their trends could determine alternative futures of agrifood, socioeconomic and environmental systems. The fundamental message of this report is that it is still possible to push agrifood systems along a pattern of sustainability and resilience, if key “triggers” of transformation are properly activated. However, strategic policy options to activate them will have to “outsmart” vested interests, hidden agendas and conflicting objectives, and trade off short-term unsustainable achievements for longer-term sustainability, resilience and inclusivity.
The future of food and agriculture series is available at www.fao.org/global-perspectives-studies/fofa.
The publication looks at innovations happening at all stages of the food value chain: from production to manufacturing and retailing. This also includes the extended value chain, for example input supply, financial services and agribusiness support services. Yields are improving and primary production is becoming more resilient as a result of digital technologies such as precision agriculture, agricultural drones, and digital farming services and marketplaces; and novel business models such as plant factories, crowdsourcing for farmers. Data and robotics help lift productivity and food safety in the manufacturing process. Online grocery commerce and food delivery services are revolutionizing the way consumers purchase food. Distributed ledger technology, such as blockchain, allows making payments and tracing back food products along the chain in order to increase transparency and trust. New business models are springing up to shorten the chain by removing or shifting stages and to make it fairer and greener, stimulated by enabling technologies and changing customer behaviours. Innovations such as these are discussed and illustrated by almost 200 practical examples from 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, across various types of firms and commodities.
By observing emerging trends and providing concrete examples, the book discusses the nature of these innovations, how they are affecting food systems and value chains, positively or negatively, and how to deal with trade-offs. It concludes with a reflection on the impacts of these innovations, the policy solutions identified, and lessons learned to future-proof the region’s food systems, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by governments on social distancing and mobility restrictions have contributed to boosting the use of digital technology to bridge some of the physical access gaps. An increasing number of services and extension/information activities are delivered through digital tools and applications. E-commerce has also flourished. As a result, the potential of digital technologies has gained prominence in immediate response and recovery strategies and programmes.
This paper discusses how adapting food production systems to respond to consumer demand for healthier diets is a major opportunity to mitigate and adapt to climate change in agro-rural economies. It also addresses how existing technological solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation need to create more balance between the production and consumption tiers of agrifood systems. Policy dialogue includes managing trade-offs between different sector and stakeholder interests and exploring synergies rather than focusing on exclusivity and competition. This requires a new framework that goes beyond sector-specific policy development. Political economy issues compound the outcome of evidence-based policy dialogue results. For example, political motivation for exporting protein-rich foods may lead to negative impacts on local food sovereignty and food production for local markets. In this regard, the use of concrete policy dialogue tools (food-based dietary guidelines, land use planning and discussions on a protein production strategy) can facilitate a more interactive policy process. The document also stresses how specific rural transformation efforts (e.g., adopting territorial approaches for conceiving and implementing policies; targeting specific producer and consumer groups; strengthening resource ownership; and empowering women and young people) are an integral part of agrifood systems transformation.
This brief explores the evidence on the relationships between food aid transfers and investments in climate adaptive agriculture using data from Ethiopia, Malawi and United Republic of Tanzania. Four climate adaptive agricultural investments are considered, namely: adoption of cereal-legume intercropping, use of organic fertilizers such as manure and compost, construction of soil and water conservation structures in fields, and investments in livestock diversification. These practices differ in their levels of capital and labour intensity,and their appropriateness for farmers will vary depending on the context farmers operate in.
Coffee is one of the key agricultural commodities in the Government of Uganda’s pursuance of economic growth and job creation, especially for the rapidly expanding youth population. A significant number of job opportunities exist for young people along the coffee value chain, not only in production but increasingly in processing, trade and marketing, as well as service provision. This policy brief provides recommendations for policymakers to support youth in realizing employment and entrepreneurship potential in the coffee sector, by facilitating their sustainable access to productive resources and markets, and equipping them with the necessary skills and capital.
Rainfed agriculture accounts for more than half of the world’s food production but is facing increasing precipitation variability, driven by climate change. Achieving zero hunger will require improvements in rainwater management to increase productivity. About 45 percent of global rainfed cropland is still under low-input production systems. These are concentrated mostly in lower-income countries, which face multiple challenges in addressing the growing water shortages. Improved water management practices must be combined with the best agronomic practices for enhanced effectiveness. These processes can be supported by expanding and digitizing extension services, as well as by government investments and assistance to farmers.
Considering the new opportunities that ICT innovations bring to improve performance of financial and extension services, this study looks at the potential contribution of financial and extension services to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The approach used extends the standard Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to include longer-term management goals and find a solution that balances the efficient use of innovation investments and the achievement of policy goals, making this approach well suited for the analysis of the SDGs.
The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture Intensification (CoSAI) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) jointly commissioned a gap study to determine how far away innovation investment is from helping agri-food systems achieve zero hunger goals and the Paris Agreement while reducing impacts on water resources in the Global South. The results show that the world can come much closer with some well-placed investments.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a major economic shock, throwing into question the resilience of the agrifood sector at this stage, particularly in developing countries where self-employed, wage and informal workers are threatened by food supply chain disruptions, limitations on movement and trade restrictions. Even before the crisis, small and medium agribusinesses were often considered to be credit-constrained and extremely vulnerable to shocks. Reaching out to this underserved segment has been one of the objectives driving the development of blended finance funds and facilities in the agrifood sector. While many operators will be focusing on managing their portfolio through these turbulent times, there is an opportunity to step up blended finance´s contribution to mitigate COVID-19 negative impacts and accelerate the recovery, including Build Back Better efforts. This brief looks at different options for blended finance in the short, mid and long term to help farmers and agribusinesses at risk under COVID-19.
This Guide for Trainers provides a complete set of materials for use in training sessions on mainstreaming gender in adaptation planning in the agriculture sectors. It is designed for a trainer or team responsible for delivering a training workshop for stakeholders who are involved in adaptation planning and related budgeting processes in agriculture. The guide presents a mix of interactive activities and presentations, to be used in whole or in part, to improve the individual-level skills and behaviours needed to foster gender-responsive agriculture adaptation plans within a broader capacity development process. The emphasis is on adaptation in agriculture, however the materials can be applied to planning for climate change adaptation in other sectors.
This document presents a proposed methodology for public expenditure review and analysis for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture sector (PERCC) and its application to a case study of Kenya. It starts by explaining the basic methodological concepts, classification and labelling of public expenditures that allow for calculating spending in agriculture related to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Next, the document applies the methodology to public expenditures in Kenya to analyse how agricultural spending policies help, or hinder, Kenya’s climate change adaptation and mitigation.
TECA is an FAO online platform for the exchange and sharing of agricultural technologies and practices for smallholder farmers and producers. The platform facilitates the transformation process in rural areas by making relevant and innovative technologies available to farmers in the field. In doing so, TECA further enhances the access to knowledge of smallholder producers in rural areas increasing their capacity to innovate and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This catalogue promotes a set of successful innovations for farmers on the occasion of the FAO International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers: Unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which will be celebrated in FAO Headquarters on 2123 November 2018. The technologies presented are concrete actions that have solved specific development challenges and promote sustainable and inclusive rural transformations. The technologies and practices are designed following the FAOTECA platform standards and have been tested and refined in the field. Each practice supports smallholder farmers and those providing advisory services to agricultural producers, to identify specific needs, select the correct practices and to implement technologies adequately. Developed with the help of FAO in cooperation with the FAO Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and other key partners, the GIZ, ICRAF, IFOAM and Swisscontact, this catalogue aims at illustrating how sharing knowledge may unlock innovation throughout the farming process.
Scientific advances, technical innovations and application of digital technology have the potential to contribute to a wide-scale structural transformation of food systems. In food safety and process control, as in other areas, technical advances outpace the understanding of how to use these tools to their greatest advantage and how they should be regulated. This thematic brief for the First FAO/WHO/AU International Food Safety Conference outlines key issues - strategic direction of science and innovation in food systems.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, young entrepreneurs in agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa were already facing a number of challenges. The main challenges include limited access to natural resources, finance, technology, knowledge and information, and insufficient participation in policy dialogues and other decision-making processes. The COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptions to agricultural value chains are presenting additional hurdles for these agripreneurs. Without focused and appropriately designed response interventions addressing their specific constraints and contexts, it is increasingly observed that some of the policy responses and measures put in place by governments to halt the spread of the virus are exacerbating the existing challenges that the youth are facing in engaging in agrifood systems. For example, several formal and informal micro, small and medium-sized agribusinesses that employ many young people, have been forced to close or downscale significantly as a result of lockdowns and movement restrictions at national and local levels. FAO, together with other members of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD), has called for effective and safe partnerships with young people during and after the COVID-19 crisis to ensure that government and development partners’ response measures are inclusive of youth’s needs.
Facilitation has proved crucial for enabling the interaction of Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) actors to address the target and to innovate. This “Guide on training of facilitators of multi-actor agricultural innovation platform” is aimed at serving facilitators when multi-actor agricultural innovation platforms (MAIPs) are organized. Since MAIPs are still an emerging concept, there are not many cases to refer to. This guide mainly summarizes the experiences from the implementation of MAIPs in permission, hazelnuts and honey value chains that FAO organized through the EU-funded project of Development of sustainable and inclusive local food systems in north-west region of Azerbaijan (GCP/AZE/014/EC) and STB initiatives. This guide is a guideline tool, rather than a textbook for training MAIPs facilitators. Facilitators should keep in mind that MAIPs advocate learning by doing, through practice. They should conduct MAIPs by referring to the training activities in this book instead of copying. Although the authors have tried their best to make this guide applicable to agricultural production and social development in various places, it is difficult to cover all the content. Therefore, MAIPs facilitators using this book are encouraged to give full play to creativity and develop training activities and methods sensitive to local characteristics and value chains.
This report presents and reflects on the opportunities that new technological developments related to automation and precision agriculture (e.g. robotics) can offer to agriculture in developing countries. These technologies are mainly targeted to support farmers that struggle with the cost of labour when harvesting crops and to tackle the declining availability of manpower for general cropping operations. This report also explores the possible applications of agricultural technology, presents the current trends and discusses some of the principle challenges to successful adoption for sustainable agricultural mechanization in developing countries.
Agenda:
Introduction to CCAFS and CGIAR: Why food loss and waste? - Lini Wollenberg
The Food Loss and Waste Calculator and how it can be used to mitigate climate change - Jan Broeze
Understanding Smallholder Farmers’ Post-Harvest Behaviors: Evidence from Malawi - Tabitha Nindi
Effects of Amending Soil with Organic Matter on Population Change of Aspergillus flavus and Antagonistic Microbiome: and on Aflatoxin Contamination of Groundnut in Malawi - Norah Machinjiri
Quantifying GHG emissions of agrifood chain and associated food loss and food waste in China - Li Xue
A Stepping-Stone to the evidence base for the mitigation of N2O emission from reduced food loss and waste in China and Myanmar - Xia Liang
Food waste reduction entrepreneurship initiative and associated impacts: a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment - Daniele Matzembacher
E‐KOKARI is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform, developed in Niger, which enables farmers, breeders and buyers to access information, advice, warnings and market prices in the field of agriculture and livestock. When a user dials a short number from his phone he can access a voice menu in the main local languages (French, Hausa and Zarma) of the country, which guides him/her according to his/her needs. A prototype was developed and tested during a period of 10 months in the course of 2017, but the practice still needs to be implemented and evaluated in the field.
In Niger, more than 80% of the population lives in rural areas and has poor access to accurate and timely information to improve their agricultural practices. In addition, according to UNICEF, about 70% of the adult population is illiterate, which means that they cannot read and often do not even speak French, which is the official language of the country. However, currently the information available for farmers is mostly written and in French, which results in limited use by farmers and breeders. Up till now, most of Niger’s farmers and breeders remain without access to the necessary information to improve their production.
On the other hand, the use of mobile phones and the number of mobile phones in Niger has been increasing every year. More and more farmers now own or have access to a mobile phone. In 2015, on a total population of about 20 million inhabitants, 7 184 270 mobile phones were in use. In 2016, this number increased to 7 719 981 mobile phones. In this context, and to bring answers to the cited problems, E-KOKARI was developed to help farmers, breeders and buyers to get access to information, advices, alerts and market prices in their own local language by using a mobile phone (smartphone and normal mobile phone). All the data available on the platform are also voice recorded in the local languages and the users can get access to the information by dialing a short code on their phone and navigate through a simple menu to obtain the information they need.
This document is part of the project “Strengthening the adaptive capacity to climate change in the fisheries and aquaculture sector of Chile”, executed by the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Ministry of the Environment, and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with funding from the Global Environment Facility. The work was implemented in four pilot coves: Caleta Riquelme (Tarapacá); Caleta Tongoy (Coquimbo); Caleta Coliumo (Biobío); and Caleta El Manzano-Hualaihué (Los Lagos). This document presents the primary results and innovative aspects of the project, in keeping with its three main components: strengthening of public and private institutional capacities; improvement of the adaptive capacity of artisanal fisheries and small-scale aquaculture; and strengthening knowledge and awareness about climate change in fishing and aquaculture communities. It also details the lessons learned during the project, with the goal of providing the authorities and communities involved in the fisheries and aquaculture sector with the capacity and tools required to adapt to future climate scenarios. Recommendations are made for scaling-up adaptation actions in the pilot coves and making this initiative sustainable beyond the end of the project. Finally, public policy recommendations are presented according to five main subjects: plans and programmes in artisanal fishing and small-scale aquaculture; training at the national and local level; climatic and oceanographic information; productive diversification; and gender mainstreaming. This document is aimed at the beneficiary partners and the sectoral institutions and its objective is to serve as a guide and/or model for other coastal communities in Chile.
The purpose of this methodological guide is to outline how to conduct an empirical assessment of the current landscape of women’s small-scale fishery (SSF) organizations. Applying this methodology will enhance understanding of where women are organized in SSFs (both geographically and within the value chain); what their present organizational characteristics and capacities are; and their primary needs. Gathering this information through this methodology can help design interventions to enhance women’s organizational capacities and to work towards greater gender equality in fish value chains.
Sustainable Public Food Procurement (PFP) represents a key game changer for food systems transformation. It can influence both food consumption and food production patterns. It can deliver multiple social, economic and environmental benefits towards sustainable food systems for healthy diets.
This publication aims to contribute to the improved understanding, dissemination and use of PFP as a development tool in particular in the case of school meals programmes.
In Volume 1, researchers, policymakers and development partners can find evidence on how PFP can be used as a development tool and deliver multiple benefits for multiple beneficiaries. It argues that PFP can provide a market for local and smallholder farmers, promote the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, and improve the nutrition and health of children and communities.
Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), or FAW, is an insect native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. In the absence of natural controls or good management, it can cause significant damage to crops. It prefers maize, although it can feed on more than 80 additional species of crops including rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. FAW was first detected in Central and West Africa in early 2016 (Benin, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo) and further reported and confirmed in the whole of mainland southern Africa (except Lesotho), Madagascar and Seychelles (Island State). In July 2018, it was confirmed in India and Yemen. By early 2019, it had been reported in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and China. Today, in Africa and Asia, maize is the crop most infested with FAW. As a staple crop, farmers and their families are unlikely to abandon maize. However, there are ways of managing FAW in maize, as demonstrated in the Americas. FAO is taking an active role in coordinating partners’ activities, plans and approaches to provide sustainable solutions to the FAW challenge. An integral part of FAO’s sustainable management programme for FAW is the FAW Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS), which consists of a mobile app for data collection and a global platform for managing the current situation.
Tool 9 provides general information and examples on the latest developments, uses and applications in the area of food biotechnology, and it focuses on genome (or gene) editing. It also provides examples that could help users of this toolkit to explain genome editing, the difference between genetic modification and genome editing and the potential benefits of these new technologies. In addition, it supports users to highlight possible research and development activities ongoing in their own country.
The Progress towards Sustainable Agriculture initiative (PROSA) is a framework that seeks to complement ongoing efforts on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and particularly indicator 2.4.1, to support country-level assessments using data already available at the national level. Making agriculture more sustainable – productive, environmentally friendly, resilient and profitable is fundamental, as agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for the majority of the world’s poor and hungry. The pathway towards sustainable agriculture must ensure increasing output, but also make more efficient use of increasingly scarce global resources, be resilient to and help mitigate climate change, and improve human well-being.
This technical study examines the key factors driving changes in trends in the indicators of sustainable agriculture and provides decision-makers with insights into viable options for achieving this goal. The study identifies five key groups of drivers that most influence these indicators globally. The ways in which each driver affects the multiple dimensions of sustainability highlights the interconnections, synergies and trade-offs that must be managed in different global contexts to achieve agricultural sustainability. The analysis can help decision-makers operating in different country contexts to identify practical solutions to ensure that their interventions contribute positively to a more sustainable agriculture.
Private sector actors bring expertise, resources, and new perspectives to agricultural development, but the tendency to short-term approaches and market-based orientation has been unable to drive a systemic change in the development agenda. We explore how multi-stakeholder dialogues can capitalize on and trickle systemic change through private sector involvement. Analysis from the farmer-led irrigation development multi-stakeholder dialogue space (FLI-MDS) in Ghana shows the need for a physical and institutional space to cater for and merge different stakeholder interests. For all stakeholders, the institutional space is a multi-level-playing institution which can trickle systemic change by leveraging the private sectors investments with multi-stakeholders' collaboration, interactive learning, and potential support for commercial scaling of FLI. For private sector actors, a physical space for collaboration is crucial. It enables them to envisage their commercial interests, opening up opportunities for collaboration and mobilization of resources. Ensuring long term sustainability of an FLI-MDS requires catering for the private sector needs for a physical dialogue space to trickle systemic change and accelerate commercialization in farmer-led irrigation development.
The quality of rural extension and advisory services is a crucial element in fostering innovation and rural development. This article aims to clarify the concept of quality of rural extension and to develop a preliminary theoretical framework. An ample literature review was conducted in search of articles on service quality and quality of rural extension and advisory services. The first part presents the main results of the literature search on quality of extension services. The definition of quality is not universal. Quality cannot be conceptualized only as farmers’ satisfaction or as extension results. It has different dimensions or components and stakeholders have different points of view about it. The second part of this article discusses the definition of service quality and the concept of Total Quality Management and underlines that the concept of quality varies according to industry types or contexts and is the result of complex negotiation among different stakeholders. Finally, a comprehensive theoretical framework for addressing quality of rural extension and advisory services is presented that differentiates among enablers that limit or facilitate the delivery of quality rural extension and advisory services, the production and delivery processes, and results obtained. Here, the key role played by quality self-assessment and organizational learning is highlighted.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed a web-based Rift Valley fever (RVF) Early Warning Decision Support Tool (RVF DST), which integrates near real-time RVF risk maps with geospatial data, historical and current RVF disease events from EMPRES Global Animal Disease Information System (EMPRES-i) and expert knowledge on RVF eco-epidemiology. The tool is used to build capacity for early warning and forecasting at country level, and demonstrates how near real-time modelling, risk forecasting and digital innovation can enhance preparedness and anticipatory actions. This brochure outlines the key data brought together by the RVF DST and describes early implementation experiences in East Africa, as well as possible future developments of the scheme.
Over the past few decades, some countries in Asia have been more successful than others in addressing poverty and malnutrition. The key question is what policies, strategies, legislation and institutional arrangements have led to a transformed agricultural sector, effectively contributing to poverty alleviation and addressing malnutrition. The great majority of national policymakers within and outside the Asia-Pacific region are keen to understand the causes of agricultural development and transformation in successful countries in Asia. A large number of studies have been conducted and some of them link specific public policies and interventions to successful agricultural transformation. However, there seems to be lack of focus on the policy, legislative and institutional environments that have enabled or impeded agricultural transformation in Asia. National policymakers are likely to benefit significantly from adequate and convincing information on successful and relevant experiences in successful transformation. Countries are interested in what their neighbours and peers have done, and why some have achieved impressive results. The main purpose of this study is to take stock of public sector experiences in facilitating and enabling agricultural transformation in selected countries in Asia. The study focuses on key public sector interventions, in particular policies, legislation and institutional innovations, because these areas have so far not been adequately researched.
Human nutrition is vital for agriculture. Many smallholder farmers are food-insecure and suffer chronic or acute forms of malnutrition. This can permanently harm the physical and cognitive growth of children, while reducing productivity as household members are less able to carry out agricultural work.
Agriculture is vital for human nutrition. Nutrition has long been considered mostly a health issue. However, agriculture plays an essential role in ensuring nutritional wellbeing not only for rural populations, but also for society as a whole.
Beyond producing food in sufficient quantity, agri-food systems should also:
To this end, we must build the capacities of farmers, agriculture extensionists, consumers and others, encourage innovation, investments and enabling policies, and address gender issues. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) uses a food-based approach to agricultural development to make the global food system produce better nutritional outcomes.
The publication is a part of the FAO work to assist the member countries in reforming their national Extension and Advisory Services (EAS). It highlights the main elements and provide concrete guidelines for the policy makers to coordinate pluralism in extension and advisory services (EAS), i.e. ensuring that multiple EAS providers from public, private sector and NGOs/donors, provide quality services that contribute to national agricultural priorities and wellbeing of rural producers, collaborate and exchange information to maximise synergies and minimise gaps and duplications.
The LIVES project works to increase adoption of value chain interventions through use of improved knowledge and capacity by value chain actors and service providers. Knowledge management and capacity development are important components of the project to fill gaps in knowledge and capacity of value chain actors and service providers. Capacity is defined as the capabilities (knowledge, skills, experience, values, motivations, organizational processes, and linkages) that determine how well value chain actors and service providers utilize resources, market opportunities, and relationships. Capacity development is the process of facilitating change through strengthening the capacities and relationships of value chain actors and service providers to develop sustainable livestock and irrigation value chains. It is the process of strengthening the abilities of individuals, organizations and systems through a variety of engagedknowledge and learning processes to perform value chain development functions sustainably and to continue to improve and develop over time. Change happens through facilitation of strategic linkages and exchange of experiences among value chain actors and service providers as well as transfer of improved knowledge and skills through training, coaching and mentoring activities. It is necessary to develop a capacity development toolkit to provide a structure and guidance for the planning, implementation and documentation of LIVES capacity development and knowledge management interventions. The toolkit provides a general step-by-step guidance as well as links to resources for further reading. It is intended to be used by project and partner staff
Digitalisation is widely regarded as having the potential to provide productivity and sustainability gains for the agricultural sector. However, there are likely to be broader implications arising from the digitalisation of agricultural innovation systems. Agricultural knowledge and advice networks are important components of agricultural innovation systems that have the potential to be digitally disrupted. In this paper, trends were reviewed within agricultural knowledge and advice networks both internationally and in Australia, to anticipate and prepare for potential transformations in these networks
This study uses 344 women and men survey respondents involved in conservation agriculture (CA) and small-scale irrigation schemes (SSIS) as data sources for examining the effect of gendered constraints for adopting climate-smart agriculture amongst women in three areas in Ethiopia. Qualitative and quantitative data collections were applied using survey, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test and binary logistic regression using statistical software for the social sciences (SPSS) version 24. Thematic and narrative analysis methods were used to analyze qualitative data. The findings show that women smallholders uptake is affected by limited access to credit, extension, restricted membership in cooperatives and water user associations, lack of access or user rights to land, skill training, information, and restricted mobility. Agricultural development interventions should be implemented by accepting and considering individual farmer's entitlement to development
Four FFSs concerning integrated crop–livestock systems were implemented by a R&D project namely “Adaptation to Climate Change in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Marginal Environments through Sustainable Crop and Livestock Diversification (ACC project)” during the summer season 2013 in three villages namely Village 4, Village 7 and Village 1750 in Sinai Peninsula. This study aimed to do the following: (1) assess the learning impacts of farmer field schools of integrated crop–livestock package and (2) explore the factors that affect the respondents’ learning index. Data were collected from the enrolled farmers (96 farmers) using an ex-post facilitator-made knowledge and implementation test during the period from April to October 2013. Mean, mode, standard deviation, range, frequencies, percentages, Learning Index (LI), and Chi-Square were used for data analysis and presentation
This book collects 24 stories of change from the EU-funded CDAIS project. Launched in 2015, the overall objective of CDAIS is to make agricultural innovation systems more efficient and sustainable in meeting the demands of farmers, agri-business and consumers. The stories are about the eight pilot countries - in Africa, Asia and Latin America - in which CDAIS operates. Countries and title of the 24 stories are provided below, with date of last update for each story.
Angola:
01) From farm to agri-business (February 2018)
02) From knowing needs to sowing seeds (March 2018)
03) Growing hope from a new crop (April 2018)
Bangladesh:
04) From green to silver (December 2017)
05) New markets for mangos (November 2017)
06) Pineapples – putting plans into action (September 2018)
Burkina Faso:
07) A marketplace of innovative ideas (September 2018)
08) Organic certification takes root (January 2018)
09) Women lead the way in rural enterprises (June 2018)
Ethiopia:
10) Feed Safety – change through learning (September 2017)
11) The need for seed – subtle changes (December 2017)
12) Innovating with chickpea cluster farming (September 2018)
Guatemala:
13) Better beans mean better nutrition (April 2018)
14) Avocados – from annual to tree crops (June 2018)
15) Moving to modern beekeeping (August 2018)
Honduras:
16) From potato pests to policy processes (April 2018)
17) Improving coffee by collaboration (June 2018)
18) New markets for cacao producers (June 2018)
Laos:
19) Seeds of an organic future (December 2017)
20) Pig farmers building bridges to success (June 2018)
21) Cattle producers blazing new trails (June 2018)
Rwanda:
22) Cooperation in cassava production (September 2018)
23) Challenges in the milk chain (September 2018)
24) Resolving conflicts in water use (September 2018)
This presentation was given at the CIDA Stakeholders’ Workshop, ILRI, Addis Ababa, 2 May 2012. It introduced the value chain concept, value chains and marketing channels, business development services, and value chain upgrading.
The capacities of twenty-four Livestock and Fish CGIAR Research Programme partners in four countries (Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Nicaragua), representing two partner types (development and research), have been assessed during the period December 2014 – September 2015. This report aims to summarize these four assessments, analyze the differences and similarities, and present recommendations for the design of capacity development interventions.
This report starts with a description of the methodology for the gender capacity assessment and the processes that have been followed in the four countries for data collection and analysis (chapter two). In chapter three, country specific contexts regarding value chains and institutional (policies and legislations) aspects that are related to gender capacities of partner organizations are described. Chapter four compares findings per level, partner type, and country. Chapter five includes more detailed description of capacity levels for each core gender capacity. Finally, recommendations for gender capacity development are made in chapter six.
This presentation was given for the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016. It introduced power asymmetries, how to empower members in innovation platforms, conflict management, negotiation and trust.
The presentation was given for the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016. It provided an overview about the process of facilitation and coordination in innovation platforms and explored the role of the innovation broker in the facilitation of innovation platforms.
This presentation was given for the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016. It introduced the process of setting up and implementing an effective innovation platform, provided an overview about the process of stakeholder analysis, and examined the question of equity and power dynamics in innovation platforms.
This presentation was given for the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016. It briefed innovation, innovation systems and multistakeholder processes (innovation platforms and learning alliances).
The presentation was given for the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016. It introduced agricultural innovation systems and their main features, examined the evolution of approaches to the resolution of agricultural problems, and provided an overview of the various participatory tools.
The module aimed to identify and examine the main features and characteristics of complex agricultural problems, explore innovative solutions to address complex agricultural problems, and examine the circumstances under which innovative solutions emerge.
The Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program, supported by United States Agency for International Development, aims to create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.
This report provides an overview of research approaches relevant to the current Africa RISING Framework, with particular emphasis on establishment of R4D (research-for-development) platforms, scaling strategies and achievement of long-term impact of the program.
The gender strategy of the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish highlights the key role of gender analysis in livestock value chain research and guides the integration and implementation of related research activities. The Program’s gender team has produced a gender capacity assessment tool to evaluate existing skills and gaps in partners’ gender capacities and identify measures to address them. In 2015, the tool was implemented in four L&F value chain countries (Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Uganda).
The Livestock and Irrigation Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada. The LIVES capacity development pillar seeks to strengthen innovation and the learning capacity of value chain actors and service providers to develop livestock and irrigation agriculture value chains. Using participatory processes to assess knowledge and skills gaps of value chain actors and service providers, it identifies capacity development interventions. Project staff then design and implement these interventions
using a range of strategies, including training, coaching and mentoring, self-learning and knowledge management activities. The sequence and combination of learning activities depend on specific situations.
Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) is the world’s first index-based insurance designed to protect vulnerable pastoralists in drought-stricken areas from losing their primary asset—livestock. This case study demonstrates the opportunities and challenges emerging from the IBLI project. It explains the need to establish the product in locations with large vulnerable pastoralist populations and encourages students to consider and develop an IBLI growth strategy. Through the case study, students will consider various pressures from the market, governments, donors and partners related to IBLI’s growth strategy and future sustainability. It was developed as part of a MBA program in microfinance for students interested in the management of international organizations and NGOs. It is also relevant to a range of other courses, including social entrepreneurship, ‘bottom of the pyramid’ expansion strategies, or introductory finance.
The presentation (www.slideshare.net/ILRI/cgiar-and-ifad-sharing-and-scaling-up-innovations) reflected on current collaboration experiences between IFAD and the CGIAR, it introduced the ‘renewed’ research for development focus of the CGIAR and its multi-center Research Programs and it explored ideas for future collaboration.
Feedback from participants in the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016.
Group work by participants in the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016.
The poster was prepared for Tropentag 2012: Resilience of Agricultural Systems against Crises, Gottingen, Germany, 19-21 September 2012. It briefed the objective, approaches, achievements and lessons of the Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) project.
Between 2012 and 2016, in collaboration with research and development partners, ILRI undertook specific action research and capacity development interventions to address identified challenges and generate evidence for wider applicability along the pig value chain. The work was funded by three major bilateral donors, the European Commission/International Fund for Agricultural Development (EC/IFAD) and Irish Aid. Some of the interventions that were pilot-tested include capacity development support to farmers on improved husbandry and biosecurity practices for the control of African Swine fever (ASF); capacity development support to butchers on appropriate pig slaughter and pork handling practices in the control of ASF; and the establishment of pig multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) for information sharing, improved stakeholder interaction and increased visibility of the pig sector. Subsequently, the evaluation assessed changes in butcher and farmer knowledge, attitudes and practices as a result of the targeted interventions. The evaluation also reviewed performance of the MSPs in the value chain.
The presentation was given in January 2009 and introduced why a new approach for livestock development for poverty alleviation was desirable, innovation, innovation systems and value chains, building of innovation platforms, learning-oriented monitoring and evaluation, and scaling up and out.
Innovation Platforms in the Aquaculture Value Chain in Egypt was presented at the National Aquaculture Innovation Platform Workshop, Cairo, 19-20 February 2014. It is a CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish that aims to increase the productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems in sustainable ways, making meat, milk and fish more available and affordable across the developing world. The presentation showed the program background, main activities of Egypt’s aquaculture sector, aquaculture value chain in Egypt, process of innovation platform establishment, key issues prioritized and discussed, and way forward.
The presentation was for the workshop on the lessons and success stories from a pilot project on climate change adaptation interventions in Kabe watershed, south Wollo, Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 11-12 February 2013. Lessons/recommendations were given: needs assessment was important to identify training topics; workshops were appreciated for being comprehensive in addressing different topics; participatory approach; having a combination of experts from different fields was good for cross learning; organizing hard and soft copies of all training materials was essential; keeping all the documents in a systematic manner would be valuable for future reference.
This brief is part of a series of ‘Legacy Products’ developed under the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics – www.humidtropics.org ) to help CGIAR Research Programs integrate key ‘capacity development in systems’ concepts into their work. It introduces the rationale of capacity needs assessment, frameworks/steps and requirements.
Capacity development (CapDev) is increasingly acknowledged as a crucial part of agricultural development. In the CGIAR Strategic Results Framework (SRF), CapDev is included as a ‘cross-cutting issue’ and as a strategic enabler of Research for Development (R4D) impact for CGIAR and its partners. It goes far beyond the transfer of knowledge and skills through training, and cuts across multiple levels. Recognizing the importance of CapDev, the SRF established a dedicated Intermediate Development Outcome (IDO) on CapDev, targeting the enablement of national partners and other beneficiaries.The brief is the overview of a series of briefs about developing capacity across individual, community, organizational and system Levels.
The presentation is for the ILRI Innovation Platform (IP) Training Workshop. At the end of this session participants will be able to: Capture basic concepts in IP monitoring and evaluation; Comprehend why it is important to monitor and evaluate IPs; Contribute to fine-tuning of Africa RISING IP monitoring and evaluation framework; Identify IP TG members championing the M&E work at the research sites.
The presentation was given at the ILRI Policy, Trade and Value Chains Program (May–November 2014) Seminar, ILRI Nairobi, 21 November 2014. It included the introduction of Dairy Development Forum, background and purpose, literature review, methodology, results and discussions, and conclusions.
The Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program, supported by the United States Agency for International Development, aims to create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.
Experiences show that the effectiveness of innovation platforms (IPs) in achieving the stated outcomes depend much more on the facilitators. IPs often go through different phases that include initiation, management and sustainability. IP members have to be guided through each of these phases. These requires a range of skills, some interpersonal and others more technical in nature. These training notes present key issues and principles of facilitation that are important for Technical Group (TG) members. It also discusses issues related to facilitation as a key function for IP related to skills and principles as well as tips required for facilitators.
The workshop was attended by over 50 people including partners from CGIAR centres, Regional Research Institutes and Centres, Universities, woredas and kebeles working with Africa RISING. The workshop discussed the use of different approaches, methods and tools for the efficient and
sustained functioning of innovation platforms (IPs) that could improve research and subsequent scaling up of suitable technologies and value chains to improve livelihoods.
Workshop sessions included: IP establishment, functioning and coordination; IP facilitation and communication; use of appropriate communication tools; IP monitoring and evaluation; the confirmation of IP champions for communication, gender, facilitation, M&E and peer support; the way forward.
The Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program comprises three research-for-development projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development as part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative. Through action research and development partnerships, Africa RISING will create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and
conserve or enhance the natural resource base.
This guide aims to give an overview of the Innovation Platform (IPs) approach used by Africa RISING. The guide is primarily for Consultative Group in Agricultural Research (CGIAR) researchers and other partners involved in the Africa RISING project. The document aims to briefly explain the IP concept, the initial steps that have been taken to establish platforms in the Africa RISING sites and the communication and coordination mechanism that have been put in place. This will help the project partners to develop a common understanding of the platform process and the communication strategy.
The Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program comprises three research-for-development projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development as part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative. Through action research and development partnerships, Africa RISING will create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.
The field trip was organized to reach for two important objectives: establish four strategic (woreda level) and eight operational (kebele level) Innovation Platforms (IPs) in all Africa RISING Ethiopia project sites (Basona Worena in Amhara, Endamehoni in Tigray, Lemo in SNNPR and Sinana in Oromia); to give partners an overview of Africa RISING project activities to date and what future research-for-development activities are envisaged mainly through the innovation platforms.
The purpose of this study was to generate information that provide comprehensive understanding of the constraints of tree-crop-livestock farming system in four sites of the Africa RISING project in Ethiopia. The study identified relevant institutions in the study locations to develop modalities for establishment of Innovation Platform (IP). The identified institutions were gathered together to identify and prioritize problems and consult on the improvement of mixed farming system in their area. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from key informants using structured interviews. The study identified the main sources of livelihood for smallholders in the studied sites such as, crop production, livestock, trees and casual labor.
There is limited effort so far done by available institutions to promote integrated agricultural practices. This calls for design and implementation of various intervention programs that aim at improving existing technologies and agricultural practices that address farmers interest and create
awareness and knowledge based trainings for farmers and extension workers. The study deviced modalities for establishing effective IP in the study sites. There are huge potential opportunities to the use of IPs as many actors involved in agricultural development activities in the studied kebeles have keen interest for collaborative actions. The IP is very crucial to strengthen the existing partnerships and build new partnerships amongst various stakeholders. It helps to share information, plan, implement and monitor development and research activities jointly to address current and future problems of the farming systems in the studied sites. The IP can be established mainly at Woreda level with good innovation networks at Kebel level. There is the need to look at IPs dynamically and pay more attention to mechanisms that strengthen feedback, learning and adaptive management in innovation processes.
Growing local and informal markets in Asia and Africa provide both challenges and opportunities for small holders. In developing countries, market failures often lead to suboptimal performance of the value chains and limited and inequitable participation of the poor. In recent years, innovation platforms have been promoted as mechanisms to stimulate and support multistakeholder collaboration in the context of research for development. They are recognized as having the potential to link value chain actors, and enhance communication and collaboration to overcome market failures. Despite the increased use of innovation platforms in research for development projects and programs, a monitoring and evaluation framework that encompasses the dynamic nature of innovation systems and value chains is not available. In this paper, the authors aim to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for understanding and assessing the performance of innovation platforms in the context of pro-poor value chains, based on a discussion of various approaches.
Facilitation of innovation is a flexible and adaptive process during which facilitators manage dialogue and stimulate collective problem analysis by multiple stakeholders to overcome challenges or make use of opportunities. The brief describes what facilitation is about, facilitators' functions and roles, skills and attributes, and who facilitates. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Vertical linkages occur among innovation platforms organized at different levels: community, district and national. Horizontal linkages occur among platforms situated at the same level (e.g. in multiple districts) to strengthen their bargaining position or for learning. This brief discusses ways to facilitate learning and problem solving across innovation platforms at different levels (vertical linkages) and between initiatives located at the same level (horizontal linkages). It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
One of the most important things that innovation platforms do is to build the capacity of their members to innovate. Some key elements of innovation capacity include: self-organization, learning new skills, changing mindsets, valuing others’ roles in innovation, having a holistic view, being able to adapt to changing situations, creating new ideas, recognizing opportunities, being proactive, using indigenous ideas, and looking to the future. This brief uses the analogy of a traditional African cooking pot to explain how innovation capacity is developed within an innovation platform. It draws on three examples of innovation platforms: in Babure, Uganda; Gwanda, Zimbabwe; and three regions in Ethiopia. The brief is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Communication is a crucial part of facilitating the process of innovation within an innovation platform. It comprises a broad range of practices and approaches which include information management, publishing, use of information and communication technologies, communication for development, knowledge sharing and knowledge management. Its goal is not just to produce or disseminate more information, but rather to use communication processes to power changes identified by the platform. The brief describes communication among platform members and with outsiders, three roles of communication, and enabling and disabling factors. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
The markets and value chains approach has recently become fashionable in agricultural development interventions. So too have innovation platforms. This brief shows how innovation platforms can be a useful vehicle to promote market development. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Innovation platforms can be complex and challenging so effective monitoring is critical to ensure that they function effectively and achieve their intended purposes. A monitoring system is a collection of methods and tools to track and measure innovation activities, processes among partners, and the results of these processes. This brief describes what a monitoring system does, who is involved, how it works, and what to do with the findings. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Innovation platforms are advocated as a promising way to find solutions to complex problems, such as those in agriculture and natural resource management. As social, economic and environmental problems grow ever more complex, researchers need
to engage more actively with stakeholders such as farmers, development practitioners and policymakers to explore, design and implement solutions. Innovation platforms offer them an opportunity to do so.
The brief discusses how research can contribute to innovation platforms and how innovation platforms can support research. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Policy processes are formal and informal negotiations in which heterogeneous groups of stakeholders seek to influence policy agenda setting and the development and implementation of policy. Innovation platforms can help balance the vested interests of market actors, civil society and other stakeholders to support policy processes. They can bring together different types of expertise, experience and interests, and facilitate learning between policymakers and market and civil society actors to develop negotiated and implementable policies and regulations. The brief describes how innovation platforms shape national policy and is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
An innovation platform is a space for learning and change. It is a group of individuals (who often represent organizations) with different backgrounds and interests: farmers, traders, food processors, researchers, government officials etc. The members come together to diagnose problems, identify opportunities and find ways to achieve their goals. They may design and implement activities as a platform, or coordinate activities by individual members. This brief explains what innovation platforms are and how they work, and it describes some of their advantages and limitations. The brief is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.
Capacity development (CapDev) has been identified in CGIAR’s Strategy and Results Framework as a strategic enabler of impact for CGIAR and its partners, particularly through building and sustaining capacity of national partners and beneficiaries.
This CapDev brief is part of a series of ‘Legacy Products’ developed under the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics – www.humidtropics.org ) to help CGIAR Research Programs integrate key ‘capacity development in systems’ concepts into their work. Site integration offers a valuable entry point for achieving coordinated, aligned and collaborative CapDev activities at country-level as a key delivery mechanism towards impact. The brief introduces the rationale, objectives and requirements for site integration.
The World Vegetable Center, an international nonprofit vegetable research and development institute, believes a healthier, more resilient world is possible by creating greater diversity in what we grow and eat. WorldVeg strives to achieve faster, greater and lasting positive impact on the nutritional status, incomes, and well-being of people—particularly in Africa and Asia—through quality, long-term complementary partnerships in research and development to increase the production and consumption of safe, nutritious and health-promoting vegetables. Founded in 1971 in Taiwan, the WorldVeg global network now covers East and Southeast Asia, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central and West Asia. WorldVeg research provides small-scale farmers with the knowledge, skills, technologies and opportunities to boost their vegetable yields and increase their incomes. Activities aim to strengthen the entire vegetable value chain, from vegetable seed systems and breeding to market access and nutrition. The Center implements its science for development agenda through three outcome-oriented ‘flagship programs’: Safe and Sustainable Value Chains, Healthy Diets, and Vegetable Diversity and Improvement, and one cross-cutting flagship program: Enabling Impact. Flagships are gateways to achieving outcomes and impact and each is operationalized through two to four ‘innovation clusters’. Work focuses on research for discovery, piloting new practices and technologies, and scaling them for impact, with an emphasis on continuous improvement of a coherent set of products and services. The flagships interact with the World Vegetable Center Genebank, which holds the world’s largest public-sector collection of vegetable seed. WorldVeg advanced breeding lines with better pest and disease resistance that can tolerate extremes of flooding, drought, and heat are used throughout the world by plant breeders to develop improved vegetable varieties. By promoting sound research, good agricultural practices and safe production and postharvest methods through partnerships with national agricultural and research institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, WorldVeg helps growers produce healthier harvests for themselves and consumers while protecting the environment. Integrated crop management strategies include improved vegetable lines, grafting, low-cost drip irrigation, safe pest management, and crop fertilization and rotation systems suited to smallholders. Protected cultivation in low-cost green- and screenhouses reduces risk and offers opportunities for farmers to intensify and diversify production, tap new markets, and provide the safe food consumers increasingly demand. Postharvest research in grading, transportation, processing, marketing, and distribution helps farmers add value to vegetables, increase their incomes, and provide a more steady supply of vegetables year-round for consumers. WorldVeg strategies for household and school gardens integrated with nutrition education diversify diets and build life-long habits for good health. WorldVeg works with traditional vegetables—underutilized species with the potential to provide sustenance and much-needed micronutrients to balance staple-heavy diets—and conducts research on the nutritional and nutraceutical qualities of all vegetables for their potential to improve health for individuals, families, and communities. Ongoing programs disseminate and extend these improved technologies to farmers, NGOs, and national agricultural research systems.
The Synthesis Document provides a synthesis of concepts and principles of the Common Framework developed under the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP). The objective of the TAP Common Framework is to promote better coherence and greater impact of capacity development in support of agricultural innovation in the Tropics. Developed in 2015 through a highly participatory process, it was agreed that the Framework should provide conceptual underpinnings and practical guidance. The TAP Common Framework is currently being tested in 8 pilot countries (Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Laos, Rwanda) through the CDAIS project, implemented by FAO and Agrinatura with financial support from the European Union.
The Synthesis Document is also available in French and Spanish.
Partnership brokering is needed to work out new ways of organising food systems that treat agricultural smallholders as a resource and opportunity rather than a problem or distraction. This is because food systems are demanding innovation in the way they are organised. This is a matter of transforming stakeholders into partners in order to reconfigure food systems to operate differently, rather than just operate more efficiently. Fundamental systemic changes are needed as our contemporary food system is failing to deliver the food we increasingly demand. From a partnership brokering point of view, reconfiguration of stakeholders and partners is the challenge. The key driver lies with urban consumers, especially in Europe and North America who are demanding food that is tasty, fresh, additive-free and most importantly of known (traceable) origin. Brokering new types of food systems as partnerships of individuals and organisations means disrupting the status quo or business-as-usual to connect producers and consumers as directly as possible in new ways. This article presents the insights and experiences of two partnership brokers using partnership brokering to engage smallholders in reconfiguring local food systems in their respective countries of Poland and Zambia.
In 2012, the Food Systems Innovation (FSI) initiative was set up between four Australian organisations working to improve the impact of agriculture and food security programs in the Indo-Pacific region. The author was assigned to facilitate a stream of work in the partnership, working as an internal partnership broker in one of the four partner organisations, the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). A scientist by training more comfortable with scientific research and its outputs, she had to move out of her comfort zone into the world of facilitated collaboration working amongst organisations with a shared vision but with very different interests and expectations. She had no formal training as a partnership broker when she joined the initiative. The article relates her experiences and insights of her partnership brokering experience, and how it became a test in “becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable”.
The challenges of providing food security for the developing world have perhaps never been so extreme, with the introduction of new technologies being matched by land degradation, water concerns and the often uncertain impacts of a changing climate. In short, we will need to produce more food on less land. Adding to the problem is the distrust and fear around some new technologies – particularly biotechnologies – that have created a divide between scientists and farmers, decision makers and the public. There have been many attempts to bridge these divides, but few success stories. As a result, there is an urgency to put similar scientific rigour into communications about agri-biotechnology that has gone into much of the scientific development of products. This report represents an attempt at providing such a rigour. It uses the collective wisdom of experts representing many countries, who have focussed on solid communication and social science research, and best-practice examples, to provide a new approach to engaging with key stakeholders. By approaching communication problems from many different perspectives, it provides many different solutions, which will hopefully contribute to ensuring that national choices about food futures are based on facts and evidence of benefits. It is an issue we cannot afford to approach with anything but our best.
This brief discusses the benefits of innovation platforms in dealing with natural resource management issues.
This brief is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution to the CGIAR Humidtropics research program, the development of the briefs was led by the International Livestock Research Institute; they draw on experiences of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, several CGIAR centres and partner organizations.
This brief deals with the importance of power and representation within in innovation platforms. The brief is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution to the CGIAR Humidtropics research program, the development of the briefs was led by the International Livestock Research Institute; they draw on experiences of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, several CGIAR centres and partner organizations.
Four ways of achieving impact with innovation platforms are discussed in this brief.
This brief is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution to the CGIAR Humidtropics research program, the development of the briefs was led by the International Livestock Research Institute; they draw on experiences of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, several CGIAR centres and partner organizations.
Four types of scaling are discussed in this brief. The first two focus on ways individual technologies or interventions are taken to scale through platforms. The third is when a platform adjusts to address different scales. The fourth is when the innovation platform approach is replicated. This brief is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution to the CGIAR Humidtropics research program, the development of the briefs was led by the International Livestock Research Institute; they draw on experiences of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, several CGIAR centres and partner organizations.
Innovation platforms are widely used in agricultural research to connect different stakeholders to achieve common goals. This brief deals with the gender dimension in innovation platform and is part of the series of ‘practice briefs’ intended to help guide agricultural research practitioners who seek to support and implement innovation platforms. A contribution to the CGIAR Humidtropics research program, the development of the briefs was led by the International Livestock Research Institute; they draw on experiences of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, several CGIAR centres and partner organizations.
Summary of the fourth week of the e-conference "Innovation systems for food security and nutrition: understanding the capacities needed". The e-conference, organized by the Secretariat of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP), is aiming at bringing together the issues of capacity development, agricultural innovation, and food security and nutrition with the objective of developing recommendations for policy-making.
The e-conference started on 18 April and lasted until 13 May 2016.
Summary of the third week of the e-conference "Innovation systems for food security and nutrition: understanding the capacities needed". The e-conference, organized by the Secretariat of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP), is aiming at bringing together the issues of capacity development, agricultural innovation, and food security and nutrition with the objective of developing recommendations for policy-making.
The e-conference started on 18 April and lasted until 13 May 2016.
The Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP), a multilateral facilitation mechanism of more than 40 partners, was established by the G20 to boost agricultural innovation in tropical countries. With financial support from the European Union (EU), theTAP Action Plan is jointly implemented by FAO and Agrinatura with activities in Africa, Asia and Central America.
The Conceptual Background provides an in-depth analysis of the conceptual underpinnings and principles of the TAP Common Framework. It is also available in French and Spanish.
The objective of the TAP Common Framework is to promote better coherence and greater impact of capacity development in support of agricultural innovation in the tropics. Developed in 2015 through a highly participatory process, it was agreed that the Framework should provide conceptual underpinnings and practical guidance.
The TAP Common Framework is currently being tested in 8 pilot countries (Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Laos, Rwanda) through the CDAIS project, implemented by FAO and Agrinatura with financial support from the European Union.
The Guidance Note on Operationalization provides a brief recap of the conceptual underpinnings and principles of the TAP Common Framework as well as a more detailed guide to operationalization of the proposed dual pathways approach. It offers also a strategy for monitoring and evaluation as well as a toolbox of select tools that may be useful at the different stages of the CD for AIS cycle. This document is also available in French and Spanish.
The objective of the TAP Common Framework is to promote better coherence and greater impact of capacity development in support of agricultural innovation in the tropics. Developed in 2015 through a highly participatory process, it was agreed that the Framework should provide conceptual underpinnings and practical guidance.
The TAP Common Framework is currently being tested in 8 pilot countries (Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Laos, Rwanda) through the CDAIS project, implemented by FAO and Agrinatura with financial support from the European Union.
This paper provides background information and introduce the topics of the conference "Innovation systems for food security and nutrition: understanding the capacities needed". Organized by the Tropical Agriculture Platform, the conference aimes at bringing together the issues of capacity development, agricultural innovation, and food security and nutrition with the objective of developing recommendations for policy-making.
Based on three regional needs assessments, a strategic Action Plan has been formulated and adopted by the Partner Assembly of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP), held in China in September 2013. It defines the outcomes, outputs and activities of TAP, which are considered instrumental for facilitating effective and sustainable Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems in tropical areas.
This document provides an overview of the Tropical Agriculture Platform and highlights its main goals and activities.
Approved by TAP partners, the TAP Work Plan 2016 describes the activities to be carried out in 2016 to achieve TAP's objective of promoting more coherent and effective capacity development interventions for agricultural innovation.
The brochure summarizes main features and goals of the EU funded CDAIS project, jointly implemented by FAO and AGRINATURA to support the TAP Action Plan.
This flyer provides an overview of the TAP Common Framework on Capacity Development (CD) for Agriculture Innovation System (AIS). The objective of the Common Framework is to consolidate the different approaches to CD for AIS, and make interventions more coherent and effective. Approved by TAP Partners in January 2016, the Common Framework is now being validated in 8 pilot countries in Africa, Asia and Central America.
This Charter defines the general conditions and obligations of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) and its Partners, and sets forth the governance structure for voluntary cooperation by TAP Partners.
The workshop summarized in this report was proposed by the Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) project and CG’s livestock and fish program, in response to a perceived need to strengthen the capacity of local partners and staff (including agricultural scientists, development practitioners and development agents/extensionists) to integrate gender in the agricultural interventions in the Ethiopian Highlands.
The CGIAR research program on livestock and fish aims to sustainably increase the productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems so as to increase the availability and affordability of meat, milk and fish for poor consumers across the developing world. The purpose of this document is to lay out a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework for the program. The Framework provides a concise narrative of why the M&E system is important, how it operates, what kinds of data it will collect and who is responsible for data collection and analysis. Central to the entire Framework is the enunciation of a clear vision of what a successful MEL system will look like.
This document provides guidelines for Innovation Platform (IP) facilitation and the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of IP processes and outcomes. Although it has been written for PROGEBE (project on ‘Sustainable management of globally significant endemic ruminant livestock of West Africa) staff at the site, national and regional levels, it is believed to have wider relevance beyond this specific project and specifically applies to projects which have a similar structure. To facilitate the application of this document to other similar contexts, we interchangeably refer to PROGEBE in this document as ‘the project’ and ILRI as ‘the research partner’. The document starts with a brief description of the rationale for the establishment of IPs within the PROGEBE project.
The Nile Basin Development Challenge (Nile BDC) is funded by the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) to improve the resilience of rural livelihoods in the Ethiopian highlands through a landscape approach to rainwater management. The first project of the Program reviewed past research and development experiences with sustainable land and water management in Ethiopia. This brief summarizes key points from the study, which approached the subject from a broadly historical perspective, tracing changes in policies and strategies from the 1970s to the present.
This document summarizes the fifteen projects that were selected by a panel of international experts as those which best represent the technological, institutional and organizational innovations carried out with and by small farmers – known as family farming - in LAC. This is the result of a hemisphere-wide competition organized in 2012 by FONTAGRO, with the aim of (1) showcasing success stories in which innovations having positive economic, social, and environmental impacts have been implemented and, (2) raising awareness regarding the importance of investing in innovation. The cases selected document the many successes achieved by producers, processors or traders who, alone or with occasional support from the public sector and NGOs, are increasing productivity, reaching more demanding markets, adding value to their products and obtaining better prices.
This reports highlights social learning as an essential aspect in dealing with the complexities around climate change and uncertainty in food production. It is not just about adapting to these complexities, it is actually about implementing tranformative changes.
This flyer is about the AgriFood chain toolkit, which has been launched in 2013 by the CGIAR programme on Policies, institutions and markets.The AgriFood chain toolkit acts as a clearing house and learning platform – using the power of information and communication technologies to bring together people and resources.
This paper discusses a range of approaches and benchmarks that can guide future design of value chain impact evaluations. Twenty studies were reviewed to understand the status and direction of value chain impact evaluations. A majority of the studies focus on evaluating the impact of only a few interventions, at several levels within the value chains. Few impact evaluations are based on well-constructed, well-conceived comparison groups. Most of them rely on use of propensity score matching to construct counterfactual groups and estimate treatment effects. Instrumental variables and difference-in-difference approaches are the common empirical approaches used for mitigating selection bias due to unobservables. More meaningful value chain impact evaluations should be prioritized from the beginning of any project and a significant amount of rigor should be maintained; targeting a good balance of using model-based and theory-based approaches.
This paper presents an analysis of stage 1 training service provided in the Northern Horticultural Zone to nine Farmer Based Organisations (FBO’s) in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region in Business Capacity Building from October, 2008 to December, 2010. Farmer Based Organisations (FBO’s) of 450 farmers consisting of 65.10% males and 34.90% females were trained by the authors under the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) Agricultural Project. The FBO’s were trained on nine modules in Business Capacity Building and five modules on Organisation of Commercial Business over a period of six weeks. Nine Action Business Plans were developed for the nine FBO’s to access financial support from the MiDA participating financial institutions in the horticultural zone for the commercial development of the farmers’ organisations.