Agricultural innovation

Marc Schut(marc.schut@wur.nl)

Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Humidtropics capacity development workshop,Nairobi, 29 April – 2 May 2014 http://humidtropics.cgiar.org/

Objectives of the session

• Participants:– Are triggered to think about different

characteristics of complex agricultural problems – Are triggered to think about different agricultural

innovation strategies to address such problems– Are familiarised with tools that can support the: • Structural analysis of complex agricultural

problems• Development of coherent innovation strategies

to address complex agricultural problems

Complex agricultural problems

4 Key characteristics of complex agricultural problems:

• Different problem dimensions• Interactions across different levels• Involvement of multiple stakeholders and the

organisations they represent• How problems develop and what will be the impact of

solutions is uncertain and unpredictable

Complex agricultural problems

1. Multi-dimensional• Biophysical • Technological• Socio-cultural• Economic• Institutional• Political

Analysing problems/ exploring solutions is unlikely to be successful if these dimensions are analysed separately

Climate change and food security

Rainfall patternsTemperature

Drought resistant varieties

Reduced yield/ income

Kyoto protocolCarbon credits

Who is responsible?Who pays?

Cropping calendar

Complex agricultural problems2. Multi-level interactions• International• Regional• National• Subnational• Community• Farm• Plot

Exploring solutions requires interventions across different levels

Climate change and food security Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – awareness of and

structural allocation of resources to CC

SADC Climate Change Adaptation Strategy – impact of CC on water availability for

amongst others agriculture

Kenya National Climate Change Response Strategy – urban polution/ clean energy/

deforestation/ desertificaiton

Farmer climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies (e.g. rain water

harvesting)

Complex agricultural problems3. Multi-stakeholder• Policymakers• Civil society• Development • Donors• Farmers• Private sector• Consultants• Researchers

None of these stakeholders can solve the complex problem on their own.

Climate change and food security

Climate change and food security

Multi-stakeholder platform

Multi-stakeholderplatform

Complex agricultural problems

4. Highly uncertain and unpredictable• How problem will

develop over time• Type of solutions and

their (undesired) impacts • Stakeholder interactions• Phases in e.g. policy

processes• Chaos and crises

Climate change and food security

• How will climate change develop over time?• What type of climate change

adaptation and mitigation strategies will be effective?• Will different types of

stakeholder continue to work together? ?

Need for agricultural innovations

Solution strategies with attention for:• Integrated analysis of problem dimensions,

design integrated solutions• Interactions between multiple levels• Needs and interest of different stakeholder

groups (including gender, age, ethnic groups)• Flexibility and adaptive capacity to respond to

uncertain and unpredictable context

How innovations emerge?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NugRZGDbPFU

How innovations emerge?

• Spaces for creativity• Where ideas of different people can mingle• Connectivity, borrow from each other, combine

perspectives• Finding the missing piece• Such processes take time

• “The whole is bigger than the sum of its parts”

Define agricultural innovation

Define agricultural innovation (1)

• Technology, practice or product handling that will bring increased yield and income to the farmer

• Modern/ improved or superior production technique used to improve production or quality and quantity required at a given time.

• Novel idea, process, tool, or solution to facilitate healthy and sustainable agriculture that is tailored to a specific context.

Define agricultural innovation (2)

• Combined hardware (technologies – e.g. seeds) and software (social-organisational – e.g. seed systems) to enhance development and business objectives, change for the better

• Tool that can guide analysis of complex agricultural problems, and the identification of entry points that enhance the innovation capacity of the agricultural system in which the complex agricultural problem is embedded.

Agricultural Innovation Systems• From technology-oriented to systems

approaches to innovationTechnology Transfer (TT)

Farming Systems Analysis (FSR)

Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS)

Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS)

Era From 1960’s From 1970’s/1980’s

From 1990’s From 2000’s

Approach Research develops technologies that are transferred to farmers

Research identifies and reliefs (land, labour) constraints of farmers

Research collaborates with extension officers and farmers in developing solutions

Create an enabling environment for innovation

Agricultural Innovation SystemsTechnology Transfer (TT)

Farming Systems Analysis (FSR)

Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS)

Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS)

Roles of farmers

Adopters of technologies

Adopters of knowledge and technologies

Source of information

Experimenters Experts

Partners Entrepreneurs Part of

innovation network

Roles of research and researchers

Developers of knowledge and technologies

Experts Capacity builders

Facilitators of learning

Enhance innovation capacity in the system

Members innovation network

Agricultural Innovation SystemsTechnology Transfer (TT)

Farming Systems Analysis (FSR)

Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS)

Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS)

Intended outcomes

Technology adoption anduptake

Adapt technologies to farming systems

Joint development of technologies

Capacities to co- innovate, learn and change

Key intervention approach

Technology dissemination through extension and mass media

Surveys, typologies, modelling of impact

Participatory research, Farmer Field Schools

Establish, implement and support multi-stakeholder platforms

Weaknesses Disregards farmer involvement and adoption context

Focus on field and farm level

Local orientation, costly, scaling up and scaling out

Lacks empirical evidence, system’s boundaries are difficult to define

Agricultural Innovation Systems

AIS

TT

Agricultural Innovation Systems

Analyze Agricultural Innovation Systems

• Analyse complex agricultural problems– Complex problem (multiple dimensions/ levels/

stakeholders)– System in which the problem is embedded– Components/ elements that support or constrain

innovation in the agricultural system

• Identify entry points for innovation to address complex agricultural problems– Specific entry points for innovation (e.g. Striga in maize)– Generic entry points for innovation (e.g. crop protection)

?

Current situation

Desired situation

Change/ innovation/

intervention

Break

What is RAAIS?• ‘An easy way to make people do a difficult job’ • Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation

Systems is a tool to:– Analyse characteristics of complex problems– Identify challenges and constraints for innovation

in the agricultural system– Identify opportunities for innovation in systems

• Use different types of data/ methods– Workshops, questionnaires, interviews, existing

statistics

RAAIS workshop methodology

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

Exercise 7

Exercise 8 Exercise 9

Exercise 10

Exercise 11

Exercise 12

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 1

Categorising constraints and

challenges

Exploring opportunities for innovation

Identifying constraints and challengesEntry theme

Specific and generic

entry points for

innovation

RAAIS mini workshop – Exercise 1

• Identify different participant groups– Farmer representatives– NGO/ civil society representatives– Private sector representatives– Government representatives– Research/ training representatives

• Each participant receives 5 coloured cards– Write your name, country and/or Action Site on

the back of each of the 5 cards

RAAIS mini workshop – Exercise 2

• Entry Theme:

What are – according to you – the five biggest constraints for agricultural innovation in your country/ Action Site?

Write the five constraints on the five cards that you have received (one constraint per card)

RAAIS mini workshop – Exercise 3

• Form groups– Farmer representatives– NGO/ civil society representatives– Private sector representatives– Government representatives– Research/ training representatives

• Discuss the constraints identified by the different participants and together develop a top-5 of constraints and challenges

RAAIS mini workshop – Exercise 4• For each card, identify the type of constraint

dimension:– Biophysical – Technological– Socio-cultural– Economic– Institutional– Political• Place X if dimension applies to the constraint• Circle X of dimension that applies best

The dimensions of complex agricultural problems

Biophysical

Technological

Socio-culturel

Economic

Institutional

Political

1.

2.

3.

4. Etc.

5.

4. Type of constraints

4. Type of constraintsBiophysical

Technological

Socio-cultural

Economic

Institutional

Political

0

10

20

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4. Type of constraints

Biophysica

l

Technologic

al

Socio

-cultu

ral

Economic

Institu

tional

Politica

l0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Farmer/ producerCivil society/ NGOPrivate sectorGovernmentResearch and training

5. What is causing the constraints

Infrastr

ucture an

d asse

ts

Institu

tions

Interaction an

d colla

boration

Capac

tities and re

source

s0

10

20

30

40

50

60

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6. Level where constraint can be solved?

Internati

onal

National

Region/ D

epartment/

Provin

ce

Distric

t/ Commune/ T

errito

rial

Arrondise

ment/ (So

us)secte

ur

Village

/ Gro

upement

Farm

/ House

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BurundiCongoRwanda HLRwanda LL

7. Relations between constraints

Diseases

Inadequate extension

Absence of infra in high

potential areas

Poor infrastruc.

Inadequate access to farm

inputs

Costs of farm inputs

Availability of markets

Poor backstopping of extension

Poor knowledge of

inputs

Limited agricultural education

8. Relationship with objectives

9. Short-, middle- and long term

10. Research needsType of research needed to address constraints and challenges

%

Productivity research 20%

NRM research 10%

Institutional research 69%

Nutrition research 1%

11. Prioritisation of research needs

12. Action plan for innovation

Validation

• Combine multiple methods?– E.g. workshops, in-depth interviews,

surveys, secondary data analyses–Validate and triangulate data–What insights do multi-stakeholder

workshop not provide?

• Towards implementation and action

Reflection and closure

• Participants:– Are triggered to think about different

characteristics of complex agricultural problems – Are triggered to think about different agricultural

innovation strategies to address such problems– Are familiarised with tools that can support the: • Structural analysis of complex agricultural

problems• Development of coherent innovation strategies

to address complex agricultural problems

Thank you so much!

Marc Schut(marc.schut@wur.nl)

Wageningen University, the NetherlandsCapacity Development Workshop

29 April – 2 May 2014, Nairobi, Kenya