Innovation Africa: Enriching Farmers' Livelihoods

Agricultural research, extension and education can contribute greatly to enhancing agricultural production in a sustainable way and to reducing poverty in the developing world, but achievements have generally fallen short of expectations in Africa. In recent years, growing economic and demographic pressures - coupled with the entry of new market forces and actors - have created a need and an opportunity for more interactive approaches to development. Understanding the existing innovation processes, recognizing the potential for catalysing them and learning how to support joint innovation by different groups will be the key to success.This book covers new conceptual and methodological developments in agricultural innovation systems, and showcases recent on-the-ground experiences in different contexts in Africa. The contributions show how innovation is the outcome of social learning through interaction of individuals and organizations in both creating and applying knowledge. It brings examples of how space and incentives have been created to promote collaboration between farmers, research, extension and the private sector to develop better technologies and institutional arrangements that can alleviate poverty. In 25 broad-ranging chapters the book reflects cutting-edge thinking and practice in support of innovation processes in agriculture and management of natural resources.

Pascal Sanginga is a Senior Programme Specialist in Rural Poverty and Environment at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), based in Nairobi, Kenya. Previously, he was a Senior Social Scientist with the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and a Research Fellow with the Participatory Research and Gender Analysis Systemwide Programme on the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), hosted by the Africa Highlands Initiative. His research and publications focus on rural innovation systems, social capital and multistakeholder processes for social learning and environmental governance.

Ann Waters-Bayer is an agricultural sociologist in the EcoCulture unit of the Netherlands-based nongovernmental research and development organisation ETC Foundation. She focuses on psychological and institutional aspects of participatory approaches to research and communication. She is a member of the International Support Team for PROLINNOVA (PROmoting Local INNOVAtion in ecologically-oriented agriculture and natural resource management), a Global Partnership Programme of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) that operates through country and regional programmes in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Susan Kaaria is a Program Officer for Environment and Economic Development, in the Eastern Africa Office of the Ford Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a background in forest resource economics and agricultural economics. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a Senior Scientist with CIAT, based in Kampala, Uganda, where she developed innovative participatory approaches to increasing access to, engagement in and benefits from local, national and regional markets by poor and marginalised communities.

Jemimah Njuki is a Senior Scientist with CIAT, based in Harare, Zimbabwe. She has a background in rural development and has been working on participatory monitoring and evaluation systems to improve decision-making, organisational learning and change. She is also involved in gender research in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Chesha Wettasinha is an agriculturist in the EcoCulture unit of ETC Foundation. She has over 20 years' experience in agriculture and natural resource management, combining technical, social and organisational aspects of research and development. She currently specialises in capacity building in participatory innovation development, process documentation and editing of journals and books to make relevant field experiences accessible for wider sharing and learning. She is a member of the International Support Team for PROLINNOVA.