Learning cases on innovation platforms for agricultural development

10 March 2017. Whenever a big step forward is taken in research, for example, the implementation of innovation platforms, it is essential to share the best practices and lessons learned. There might be other regions and/or situations where having an innovation platform could make a huge positive difference, but those involved are not quite sure where and how to begin. Or, perhaps they have already taken the first steps and got stuck after coming across the first unforeseeable obstacles.

A million things can happen and having access to ideas and practices that are used in other innovation platforms can make a big difference.

This is why the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated System for the Humid Tropics, or Humidtropics, supported various capacity development activities around innovation platforms. These included an ‘Innovation Platforms Case Studies Competition’ which led ultimately to a book, an academic article, online learning modules, and a series of learning case studies drawn from those described in the book. Each case provides facilitator materials, exercises and teaching notes.

The cases are:

• The WeRATE case study in Western Kenya
• The Mukono-Wakiso innovation platform in Uganda case study
• The Bubaare Innovation Platform Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd
• The Nile Basin Development Challenge case study
• The Nicaragua Learning Alliance case study in scaling agribusiness training
• The MilkIT innovation platform in India case study
• The CIALCA case study of stakeholder engagement in Central Africa
• Introduction, synthesis and conclusion module