Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

International Workshop on Investing in and Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Systems

May 30 - June 1, 2012. An international workshop held in Washington D.C brought together more than 100 AIS experts and interested participants for three days of exchange and discussions.


Agricultural Innovation Systems: An Investment Sourcebook
AIS CoverPast efforts to strengthen agricultural research extension and education systems have not increased innovation in agriculture at the pace or the scale required by the intensifying challenges confronting agriculture today.  Experience indicates that aside from a strong capacity in R&D, the ability to innovate is often related to collective action and coordination, exchange of knowledge among diverse actors, and incentives and resources available to form partnerships and develop business. The Agricultural Innovation Systems Sourcebook describes the additional and complementary interventions needed for an effective agricultural innovation system (AIS).

Workshop objectives:

This workshop highlighted the key findings from the recently developed AIS Investment Sourcebook. The workshop also served as a venue to feature and learn from operational and analytical cases and initiatives that are currently not covered by the Sourcebook
  • To launch, and disseminate and discuss findings from the recently published “Investment Sourcebook: Agricultural Innovation Systems”
  • To learn from other on-going operational and analytical initiatives on AIS
  • To identify key recommendations for and issues requiring further analysis, experimentation and implementation to promote operationalization of AIS approach
  • To consolidate the Community of Practice on AIS
Participants List

Conclusions/summary of the Conference will be added later.

Some presentations relevant for PAEPARD

Please click on the days below to view the presentations

PART 3: RURAL ADVISORY SERVICES & ITS ROLE IN PROMOTING INNOVATION
Chair: Magdalena Blum, FAO

Session Description 
Pluralism and Brokering as the Defining Factors for Rural Advisory Services in an AIS Context – Kristin Davis, Executive Secretary, GFRAS and Willem Heemskerk, KIT
Application of ICT for RAS – Carol Bothwell, VP and Chief Knowledge Office, Catholic Relief Services
Private Sector Driven RAS: Principles of and Evidence of Engagement – by Willem Heemskerk, KIT and
Village-based Agricultural Advisor: A New Model for Self-employed Extension Workers – by David Priest, FIPS-Africa Ltd.
What can Brokers Offer for RAS and Agricultural Innovation – by Laurens Klerkx, Wageningen University
What can Brokers Offer for RAS and Agricultural Innovation - Rasheed Sulaiman, CRISP-LINK





PART 4: ROLE OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY IN AIS
Chair: Jonathan Wadsworth, Executive Director of the Fund Office, CGIAR

Session Description 
Strengthening Research System to Function in AIS – John Lynam, International Research and Innovation Consultant
Building Effective Demand Articulation and Interface between Research System and Other Actors – by David Spielman, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI 
Lessons on Consortia and R&D Partnerships with the Private Sector (Australia, Chile and India) – Francisco Obreque, Independent Consultant     
Change Management within Agricultural Research Systems– Doug Horton, Independent Consultant 
20 years of AIS Implementation in Uruguay – What Have We Learned from INIA? – Mario Pareja, Independent Consultant, IICA
Agricultural Innovations Using the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) Aapproach – Sidi Sanyang, Program Manager, CORAF/WECARD

























PART 6: IGNITE SESSION &; PARALLEL WORKING GROUPS
IGNITE Session: 13 Speed presentations on AIS approaches/initiatives/products
Farmer-managed Funds for Local Innovation Processes – Ann Waters-Bayer, ProLinnova 
INNOVAGRO Network - Leticia Deschamps, IICA 
at