Drawing on studies from Africa, Asia and South America, this book provides empirical evidence and conceptual explorations of the gendered dimensions of food security. It investigates how food security and gender inequity are conceptualized within interventions, assesses the impacts and outcomes of gender-responsive programs on food security and gender equity, and addresses diverse approaches to gender research and practice that range from descriptive and analytical to strategic and transformative.
African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa can feed itself in a generation and help contribute to global food security. To achieve this Africa has to define agriculture as a force in economic growth by: advancing scientific and technological research; investing in infrastructure; fostering higher technical training; and creating regional markets.
This article starts by describing the evolution of innovation in agricultural research and cooperation for development, including an historical overview of agricultural research for development from green revolution to the re-discover of traditional knowledge. Then the authors analyze participation in innovation processes and make a comparison of innovation systems and platforms targeting the agri-food sector in developing countries. A particular focus is reserved to the European regional networks and to the experience of the USAID Middle East Water and Livelihoods Initiative.
This paper illustrates already practiced models and strategies of high impact innovations around the world with particular respect to India. The shown examples of innovative businesses were selected based on four criteria reflecting their innovative character. Firstly, innovations need to fulfil a value for the life of people which exceeds the mere use of the product. Secondly, it requires good quality products or service for an affordable price even for lower income groups.
This regional workshop was designed to strengthen the capabilities of representatives of NIFUs for analyzing the situations of their NAIS, and to use their national experiences to identify strengths, weaknesses, and threats/challenges affecting seven key areas influencing development of NAIS, namely: (i) strategy/policy, (ii) institutional aspects, (iii) stakeholders, (iv) content, (v) people, (vi) infrastructure, and (vii) financial aspects. Possible solutions for the key weaknesses and threats /challenges were defined by participants.
The book presents an overview of six research projects within the Knowledge Networking for Rural Development in Asia Pacific (ENRAP) research program. It asks if ICTs enabled farmers to sell beyond local markets and at better prices, and whether there have been social gains in linking geographically disparate households and social networks.
En síntesis, el presente documento tiene un carácter marcadamente exploratorio. Por lo tanto, el objetivo es modesto pues no se pretende medir o evaluar los efectos, sino identificarlos y describirlos en la medida que los actores del proceso los signifiquen como tales. Esto permitirá, a futuro, estudios más profundos sobre la base de una mejor compresión de las lógicas intrínsecas de los procesos de innovación. El documento está organizado en cuatro apartados. El primero resume las aproximaciones conceptuales relevantes sobre el tema.
Este libro recoge los principales aportes y contribuciones a las innovaciones rurales. Los trabajos proceden de una decena de países diferentes, y presentan diversos acercamientos teóricos y prácticos. La multiplicidad de casos analizados es una muestra de la creciente riqueza conceptual y analítica sobre el desarrollo rural en nuestro continente, a la vez que ponen en cuestión muchos de los paradigmas imperantes. El objetivo es aportar a una discusión que actualmente está abierta y que debe permitir el avance en el diseño de estrategias de desarrollo más sólidas y consistentes
The purpose of this paper is to map some elements that can contribute to an IFAD strategy to stimulate and support pro-poor innovations. It is an initial or exploratory document that hopefully will add to an ongoing and necessary debate, and is not intended as a final position paper. The document is organized as follows.
There are divergent views on what capacity development might mean in relation to agricultural biotechnology. The core of this debate is whether this should involve the development of human capital and research infrastructure, or whether it should encompass a wider range of activities which also include developing the capacity to use knowledge productively. This paper uses the innovation systems concept to shed light on this discussion, arguing that it is innovation capacity rather than science and technology capacity that has to be developed.