Analysis of the agricultural innovation system in Indonesia: A case study of the beef sector in Nusa Tenggara Barat

CONTEXT: The demand for beef in Indonesia has increased over the last decade" however, national production barely meets half of the domestic demand. This gap creates an opportunity for beef smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods by increasing their participation in the domestic market. Innovation is central to supporting smallholder farmers to benefit from this increase in beef demand in Indonesia.OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to analyse the barriers to the innovation system in the Indonesian beef sector in the province of Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) to identify opportunities to increase smallholder beef productivity.METHODS: In the analysis, we applied the agricultural innovation system (AIS) framework to identify constraints for boosting beef production in the province. We used qualitative data (in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) collected in NTB and data from a literature review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results showed significant constraints across all AIS functions that ultimately translated to poor innovation in the beef sector in NTB. The results showed that the beef innovation system is constrained by multiple factors, including the lack of farmers' professionalisation, lack of agricultural R&D investments, underdeveloped beef value chain, and lack of incentives for PPPs.SIGNIFICANCE: These findings inform policy in NTB and increase smallholder beef productivity. Additionally, the findings point to constraints that are likely common in beef production in many developing countries, and that could be considered when developing policy in other areas in Indonesia

Adoption as adaptation: Household decision making and changing rural livelihoods in Lombok, Indonesia

In agricultural research for development adoption of new technology tends to be cast in categories: adoption, partial adoption, dis-adoption or non-adoption. While these may serve for pragmatic classification and measures for project success or impact they fail to properly acknowledge the ongoing and independent efforts of farmers (and others) in experimentation and integration of knowledge across a range of sources. This paper explores responses to practices for cattle management introduced during a research project, at project close, and five years after the project has finished. We consider the perceptions and application of new knowledge by farmers, extension staff, and policy makers. By taking a longer-term view, we demonstrate how farming households adapt and integrate knowledge from different sources into their daily practice, influenced by local institutions and changing cultural expectations, as well as external researchers. We also consider the influence of changing government priorities and incentives in steering farm-management decisions. Results suggest that a focus on measures to build capacity and empower farmers with information to adapt and respond to change, regardless of project activities, is a much more important goal and indicator of impact than measuring adoption