This paper analyzes the impact of participation in multi-stakeholder platforms (Plataformas) aimed at linking smallholder potato farmers to the market in the mountain region of Ecuador. It describes and evaluates the Plataformas’ program to determine whether it has been successful in linking farmers to higher-value markets and the effects that such connections have brought, particularly with regard to farmers’ welfare and to the environment. The analysis is run comparing a set of different and carefully constructed control groups to beneficiaries and using various specifications.

This report provides a synthesis of all findings and information generated through a “stocktaking” process that involved a desk study of Prolinnova documents and evaluation reports, a questionnaire to 40 staff members of international organizations in agricultural research and development (ARD), self-assessment by the Country Platforms (CPs) and backstopping visits to five CPs. In 2014, the Prolinnova network saw a need to re-strategise in a changing context, and started this process by reviewing the activities it had undertaken and assessing its own functioning.

This country note briefly summarizes information relevant to both climate change and agriculture in Ecuador, with focus on policy developments (including action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Like most countries in Latin America, Ecuador has submitted one national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a second one under preparation. Land use change and forestry are the largest contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in the country.

The inadequate linkage of knowledge generation in agricultural research organizations with policy-making and economic activity is an important barrier to sustainable development and poverty reduction. The emerging fields of sustainability science and innovation systems studies highlight the importance of “boundary management” and “innovation brokering” in linking knowledge production, policy-making, and economic activities. This paper analyzes how the Papa Andina Partnership Program, based at the International Potato Center, functions as an innovation broker in the Andean potato sector.

El PMC Maíz amarillo duro tuvo como objetivo principal que el país llegue a la autosuficiencia de manera competitiva, es decir que ya no dependa de las importaciones y que la demanda sea cubierta por la producción nacional con precios adecuados en relación a la oferta internacional, logrando al mismo tiempo mejorar la calidad de vida del agricultor y la rentabilidad para todos los actores de la cadena.

Este documento presenta los resultados de la primera parte de la consultoría realizada para el RIMISP-Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural. El objetivo de la consultoría es: “contar con un análisis sobre productividad de la ganadería de carne de la Costa del Ecuador, tanto por hectárea, como por persona empleada, diferenciando por niveles tecnológicos y tipos de productores.