Embedding Research in Society: Development Assistance Options for Supporting Agricultural Innovation in a Global Knowledge Economy

The emergence of a globalised knowledge economy, and the contemporary views of innovation capacity that this trend enables and informs, provides a new context in which development assistance to agricultural research and development needs to be considered. The main argument in this paper, which focuses on The Netherlands, is that development assistance should use this emerging scenario to identify niches where inputs can add value to the R&D investments of others, particularly in activities that help wire up innovation systems, linking R&D to other activities and actors in society. The paper outlines four agricultural innovation priorities and guiding principles for development assistance that could help strengthen national and global innovation capacity. These trends also raise many tensions and dilemmas for the development research community in Northern countries. A key message of this paper is that these tensions could be better handled if a long-term vision for development assistance to ST&I - which recognised the contingencies of the global knowledge economy and the importance of participation in the resolution of international issues that affect all countries - were in place. The paper concludes by suggesting that national development assistance policies on ST&I cannot be thought of separately from a country's general ST&I policy as participation in the resolution of international issues is a key element of a country's comparative advantage. This requires investments in expertise in the North and not just financial assistance to the South.knowledge economy, development assistance, agricultural research, agricultural innovation, science and technology policy, innovation policy, development research, international development, community, globalization

Challenges to Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Systems: Where Do We Go From Here?

This paper was prepared to present at the Farmer First Revisited: 20 Years On conference at IDS, University of Sussex, UK, December 2007. Its focus is the challenge of strengthening agricultural innovation systems. The paper prefaces this discussion by reflecting on an apparent paradox. While agricultural innovation has never been better studied and understood, many of our ideas about innovation have failed to fundamentally change the institutional and policy setting of public and private investment intended to promote innovation for development. The paper asks "students of innovation" why a virtual spiral of innovation practice and policy learning hasn't emerged. The paper then locates the current interest in innovation systems in the evolving and contested approaches to agricultural development, noting that this is characterised by a long history of false dichotomies. The contingencies of the emerging agricultural scenario will demand the more networked modes of collective intelligence and innovation that are embodied in the innovation systems concept. The paper argues, however, that the innovation systems idea should be view as a metaphor for innovation diversity, rather than another competing innovation narrative. The way forward, it is suggested, is to create a united front of different collective intelligence-based innovation narratives to kick-start the virtuous spiral of innovation practice and policy learning. This is needed to strengthen agricultural innovation systems and so achieve developmental goals. The paper argues that it is the responsibly of all us "students of innovation" to argue for this space for diversity to flourish and to help consolidate and promote what is known about agricultural innovation. If we aren't more successful in stimulating institutional and policy change we will still be debating these issues 20 years hence.Agricultural innovation systems, institutional and policy change, space for diversity, innovation narratives, collective intelligence, self-reflection.

Public private sector partnerships in an agricultural system of innovation: concepts and challenges

The potential for public private sector partnerships is likely to grow. However, despite a number of high profile success stories, promoting partnerships has proved more difficult than many assumed. This paper argues that such partnerships need to be viewed in the framework of an innovation system and a development scenario where networks of agro-enterprises and intermediary organisations will underpin rural development and poverty reduction. This view helps reveal the importance of embedding public research organizations within these local networks and highlights that constraint to building partnership is usually institutional in nature – i.e. it relates to habits practices and patterns of trust. The paper concludes by suggesting that efforts should be focused on building social capital in agricultural innovation systems and cautions that this should be done in contextually relevant ways.Public private sector partnerships, innovation systems, institutional change, capacity building, social capital

The origins and implications of using innovation systems perspectives in the design and implementation of agricultural research projects: Some personal observations

In recent years the there has been an increasing recognition of the potential of the innovation systems concept to provide new ways of making more effective use of agricultural research and improve its impact on socially desirable outcomes. This paper documents the experiences of a group of researchers in India who experimented with this framework and tried to operationalise its principles in project design. The paper comments on some of the implications of using this approach and the challenges it presents for implementers of agricultural research projects in developing countries.Innovation Systems, Agricultural Research, Development Practice, Poverty Reduction, Research Projects, Project Design

Intrinsic alignments in the cross-correlation of cosmic shear and CMB weak lensing

We demonstrate that the intrinsic alignment of galaxies with large-scale tidal fields sources an extra contribution to the recently-detected cross-correlation of galaxy shear and weak lensing of the microwave background. The extra term is the analogy of the 'GI' term in standard cosmic shear studies, and results in a reduction in the amplitude of the cross-correlation. We compute the intrinsic alignment contribution in linear and non-linear theory, and show that it can be at roughly the 15% level for the CFHT Stripe 82 redshift distribution, if the canonical amplitude of intrinsic alignments is assumed. The new term can therefore potentially reconcile the apparently low value of the measured cross-correlation with standard LCDM. We discuss various small-scale effects in the signal and the dependence on the source redshift distribution. We discuss the exciting possibility of self-calibrating intrinsic alignments with a joint analysis of cosmic shear and weak lensing of the microwave backgroundComment: 5 pages, 4 figures; Published by MNRAS Letters. Minor corrections to match the published versio

Capacity development for agricultural biotechnology in developing countries: Concepts, contexts, case studies and operational challenges of a systems perspective.

There are divergent views on what capacity development might mean in relation to agricultural biotechnology. The core of this debate is whether this should involve the development of human capital and research infrastructure, or whether it should encompass a wider range of activities which also include developing the capacity to use knowledge productively. This paper uses the innovation systems concept to shed light on this discussion, arguing that it is innovation capacity rather than science and technology capacity that has to be developed. The context of deploying biotechnology in developing countries is illustrated with an over view of Uganda and Ethiopia. The then presents 6 examples of different capacity development approaches. It concludes by suggesting that policy needs to take a multidimensional approach to capacity development in line with an innovation systems perspective. But it also argues that policy needs to recognise the need to develop the capacity of diversity of innovation systems and that a key part of the capacity development task is to bring about the integration of these different systems at strategic points in time. The paper concludes with a tentative typology of the main types of agricultural innovation systems that are likely to be important in developing countries.agriculture, Ethiopia, Uganda, innovation systems, biotechnology, capacity building, innovation policy.

Dynamics of biosciences regulation and opportunities for biosciences innovation in Africa: Exploring regulatory policy brokering

Knowledge brokering has been explored in the innovation literature to understand how different innovation tasks are organised toward technological development. This paper reflects upon the role of different organisations as knowledge brokers in regulatory policy processes towards putting biosciences research into use. It identifies a practical function-based typology that describes four categories of policy brokers who perform different tasks, with the potential to impact biosciences regulatory policy change. The paper concludes with a brief exploration of how policy can support the different functions of regulatory policy brokerage to enhance the translation of biosciences research into use for the benefit of the poor. Using regulatory policy-making in Kenya as an example, it contributes to growing scholarship that seeks to link knowledge emanating from research with policy-making and economic development, particularly in an African context.Biosciences, Biotechnology Regulation, Knowledge Brokers, Policy Brokering, Africa, Kenya

What Do Complex Adaptive Systems Look Like and What Are the Implications for Innovation Policy?

This paper explores the use of complex adaptive systems theory in development policy analysis using a case study drawn from recent events in Uganda. It documents the changes that took place in the farming system in Soroti district during an outbreak of African cassava mosaic virus disease (ACMVD) and the subsequent decline in cassava production - the main staple food in the area. Resultant adaptation impacts are analysed across cropping, biological, economic and social systems each of which operate as an interlinked sub-system. The policy implications of this story suggest a policy agenda that recognises adaptation capacity as the life blood of complex adaptive systems. Since these types of systems are found in all realms of human activity, it follows that strengthening this capacity is a key developmental priority that requires linking together new configurations of actors and resources to tackle an ever-changing set of contexts.Complex Adaptive Systems, Innovation Policy, Uganda, Cassava, Adaptation Capacity, Smallholder Production, Policy