This manual provides a set of conceptual definitions and practical implementation protocols for knowledge and scaling hubs. Both concepts of knowledge and scaling hubs are developed to aggregate, leverage, and coordinate the efforts undertaken by pilot research project with larger development programs and local scaling dynamics. The manual also provides a highlight of what is called the “four-wheels approach” of partnership for scaling, which aims at connecting the created knowledge hubs, for specific agricultural technologies, to larger network of partners who can further promote the scaling of the technology. This helps reaching many project beneficiaries and partly ensures a self-sustained scaling dynamic. The manual is ending up with a practical implementation protocol, of knowledge and scaling hub, composed of sic practical steps and related tasks.
As the COVID-19 pandemic turns into a global crisis, countries are taking measures to contain the pandemic. Supermarket shelves remain stocked for now. But a protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, which is a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more. The shipping industry is already reporting slowdowns because of port closures, and logistics hurdles could disrupt the supply chains in the coming weeks. This policy brief provides recommendations on measures to consider in order to keep the supply chain alive in these times of crisis
This book discusses innovation problems and opportunities for family farming in the different regions of the American continent, as well as the role of hemispheric, regional and national agrifood research systems. Likewise, it provides a description of the main innovation actions and projects promoted by IICA, and the main success cases over recent years.
Good agricultural practices (GAPs) are an indispensable tool for risk management due to the close relationship between agriculture and climate, as well as the climate variability currently being experienced. The implementation of these tools, however, involves fostering innovation, increasing knowledge and giving stakeholders, small producers in particular, a holistic view, so that they may improve their production systems, increase their resilience, and ensure their sustainability.
Multi-stakeholder (MS) platforms, such as innovation platforms (IP), public-private partnerships (PPP) are becoming more common but what they can achieve in innovation and scaling is limited and depends on different factors. This poster and the broader research paper provide evidence what MS platforms can and cannot achieve in their early phases and give insights about effectiveness and efficiency of Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) interventions such as CGIAR research programs (CRPs) in low and middle income countries. Through social network analysis and logistic modeling of the multi-stakeholder innovation networks, o not necessarily create larger and denser collaboration in innovation networks it show that multi-stakeholder Platforms 1. might lead to centralization of collaboration, decrease the chances of farmers and stakeholders in local levels to continue collaboration 2 . can create larger and denser knowledge networks if the initial knowledge network do not include competing innovations. Knowledge exchange in innovation networks might decrease when there is a group of stakeholders supporting other innovations. It argues that AR4D interventions with platforms can improve their effectiveness and efficiency through 1. investigation of initial network configurations in innovation networks 2. prioritizing key functional gaps hindering innovation and scaling 3. using organization and event based financial incentives
This paper has been prepared under the guidelines provided by the TAP Secretariat at the FAO, as a contribution to the G20 initiative TAP, which includes near 40 partners and is facilitated by FAO. Its purpose is to provide a Regional synthesis report on capacity needs assessment for agricultural innovation, with capacity gaps identified and analyzed, including recommendations to strengthen agricultural innovation systems (AIS) and draft policy recommendations to address the capacity gaps.
TAP and its partners carried out regional surveys in Asia, Africa and Central America to assess priorities, capacities and needs in national agricultural innovation systems. This document provides a Regional synthesis report on capacity needs assessment for agricultural innovation in Africa. FARA was selected as Recipient Organization by FAO to facilitate TAP implementation in Africa. This is mainly due to its position as the umbrella organization bringing together and forming coalitions of major regional stakeholders in agricultural research and development.
Summary of the second 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.
This is the list of partners of the Tropical Agricultural Platform (updated to April 2021).
This paper introduces a new research framework for social learning, to be able to derive ways to facilitate social learning. The authors report on an explorative interview study to substantiate the framework. One interesting conclusion was that hidden agenda’s were shown to undermine trust, which in turn undermined the social learning process. This explains the importance of openness for social learning. Research results show substantiate the research framework, and show that it can be used to derive methods to facilitate social learning.
This handbook is designed as a script for training courses in facilitation and transformational change management. It seeks to create a greater understanding of complex adaptive systems, kindle a new understanding of facilitation and leadership, and give readers a set of practical tools.
