WEBINAR: Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Systems in the context of sustainable agricultural development and food security.

1 December 2020. Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Systems in the context of sustainable agricultural development and food security.

The aim of the webinar was to present complementary and joint work areas of Agrinatura and FAO in the next three years, with the main objective to strengthen Agricultural innovation Systems (AIS) and partnerships between Universities and Research Centres throughout Europe and developing countries for inclusive, responsible and impactful agricultural innovations, in the context of sustainable agricultural development and food security.

n 2015, FAO and Agrinatura engaged in the EU-funded Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (CDAIS) project (2015-2019) in order to test and operationalize a common framework to strengthen capacities to innovate at the frontline of the support to agrifood system transformation. The joint work involved eight pilot countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Lessons learnt were published in a recent report , emphasizing the need to mainstream in countries for capacity development (CD) for agricultural innovation systems (AIS) approaches at different levels: the levels of innovation niche partnerships, the level of innovation support service (ISS) providers, and the institutional and policy levels, in national and international arenas.

In this perspective, FAO and Agrinatura renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2020 with new activities in order to ensure the sustainability of CDAIS results and with new opportunities to broaden the scope of the collaboration. Four areas for collaboration were refined:

1. Develop capacities to innovate at national and regional levels for inclusive, responsible and impactful agricultural innovations, in the context of food security and climate-relevant agricultural development;
2. Facilitate policy processes and influence research & extension agendas for the strengthening of AIS, with a view to move from linear top-down technology transfer models, to co-design approaches based on combining scientific and rural actors’ knowledge, and to include gender sensitive, small-holder and digital oriented research and innovation priorities;
3. Contribute to global and regional virtual and physical knowledge hubs, in order to enhance knowledge sharing and outreach of agricultural innovations across organizations and across countries;
4. Enhance partnerships between FAO, agricultural universities and research centers throughout Europe and developing countries in order to strengthen capacity for agricultural innovation.

OPENING

• Selvaraju Ramasamy, Head, Research and Extension Unit, Office for Innovation, FAO: “FAO’s on-going initiatives related to capacity development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS)”
• Tim Chancellor, Director of Capacity Strengthening & Partnerships, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich / Agrinatura Vice-President: “Agrinatura’s on-going initiatives related to capacity development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS)”

Session 1: Developing capacities to innovate at national and regional levels

• Aurélie Toillier, FAO-OINR: “CDAIS lessons learnt and ways forward in the FAO-led TAP-AIS project”
• Julia Ekong, NRI / Agrinatura: “Developing capacities of regional organizations in their AKIS-oriented role”
• Sarah Audouin , CIRAD / Agrinatura : “Developing capacities of Innovation Support Service providers in countries”

Session 2: Facilitating knowledge sharing and evidence-based policy processes

• Delgermaa Chuluunbaatar, FAO - OINR : “Generating evidence to support informed investment and policy decision making in EAS: tools and metrics for assessing EAS”
• Nevena Alexandrova and Giulia Palestini, FAO - OINR: “Enhance knowledge sharing and out-reach of agricultural innovations across organizations and across countries - TAPipedia”
• Hanneke Lam, Agrinatura : “Evidence and knowledge sharing for supporting policy processes in the DeSIRA-LIFT Agrinatura project.”

CLOSING

• Summary and key messages: Selvaraju Ramasamy.