Capacity development for agricultural innovation systems (AIS)

13 October 2022. Capacity development for agricultural innovation systems (AIS) mainstreaming and investments through the Tropical Agriculture Platform. GFRAS Regional Networks in Asia, Africa and Latin America (APIRAS, AFAAS and RELASER respectively) together with the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) Incl. 

Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP): Introduction

• Christophe Larose, INTPA EC 
• Selvaraju Ramasamy, Head of TAP Secretariat, FAO
• Max Olupot, TAP Chair, African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS)

Facilitated discussion: Regional experiences on strengthening capacity of agricultural innovations systems

• Ibrahim Abdulrazak, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
• Fernando Manzo Ramos, Latin American Network for Rural Extension Services (RELASER)
• Ravi Khetarpal, Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)

Evidence-based policy and investments on agricultural innovation

• Viviana Palmieri, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
• Louis-Marie Kakdeu, African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS)
• Helena Posthumus, AGRINATURA – DeSIRA LIFT Project
• Concluding remarks: Guido Bonati, TAP Vice-Chair, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA)

Viviana Palmieri is a Technical Specialist in Innovation and Technology for Agriculture, at the Directorate of Technical Cooperation of IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture). Currently, she is part of IICA’s program on digital transformation of agri-food systems, and until recently she coordinated the cross-cutting topic of innovation and technology at IICA and was also the Executive Secretary of FORAGRO (Forum of the Americas for Agricultural Research and Technological Development). She is an agronomist from the University of Costa Rica and has a master’s degree in Crop Production Systems from the Tropical Agricultural Research and Teaching Center (CATIE). Her areas of interest and work include innovation in agriculture, innovation systems and policies, research and extension methodologies, innovation for sustainable agriculture and adaptation to climate change, inclusive digital agriculture, and knowledge management for innovation.

Louis-Marie KAKDEU is a PhD holder and an agro-economist. He is specialist of agricultural marketing, especially the connection of Farmers to the Market. He is the Chairperson of the Cameroon Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (CAMFAAS) and an Expert of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS). He is Senior Lecturer at the University of Maroua, Far-North Cameroon.