The Vital Role of Innovation in Agricultural Transformation | 27
overview of an AIS. The trends and approaches columns refer to a range of capacity and practices embodied in each AIS element. These AIS elements typically become more sophisticated as the country’s agriculture sector develops (for example, from agrarian to urban-mature) and with overall economic development (from low-income country to high-income country). The main AIS elements are discussed in greater detail in chapter 6. The AIS approach can bring attention to inclusive systemwide innovation and add value to existing efforts to reform agri-food systems. To date, the lack of a holistic, inclusive, and proactive approach across relevant disciplines and organizations has often prevented policy makers and investors from making timely FIGURE 3.2
The maturity of an agricultural innovation system varies with the agri-food sector and the overall economy URBAN-MATURE
TRANSITION
AGRARIAN
Countries have most of their population in urban areas. The agricultural sectors are well integrated into global markets. Poverty is principally an urban problem.
Mostly countries where economic growth is led by the industrial sector and the economy is rapidly urbanizing. Growing urban demand is resulting in structural shifts in the agricultural economy. Large areas of the rural economy still have high poverty rates and are not integrated into the growth process.
Mostly relatively small countries that depend primarily on staple food crop production and rely on agriculture for their economic growth. The agricultural markets are not well integrated, transport and logistics are costly, and private investment in rural areas is still limited.
Trends and approaches on AIS aspects Coordination-governance From limited ministerial, researchextension, STI/research councils to research, commodity and PO networks/platforms, toward AIS-wide consistent consultation and priority setting
Science, technology, innovation From public and participatory technology development toward research-university-PO collaboration, toward co-innovation, FDI and PPPs with co-funding
Rural advisory services From limited and public oriented toward pluralistic and demand-driven, integrated, highly PS-oriented consultancy and brokering services
Netherlands, Japan, Australia
Chile
Private sector From input provision and licensing agreements toward PPPs on R&D and services; diverse business models own R&D units
Innovation skills
Enabling policy and environment
From severe limitations (numbers and skills) to high technical and professional, balance between tertiary and vocational, links to industry, cross-disciplinary collaboration
From highly misaligned, to at best a part of the innovation policy decisions and enabling business context
China, India
China, India
Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam
Kenya, Senegal, Uganda
Afghanistan, Malawi, Nepal
Source: Original work for this publication. Note: AIS = agricultural innovation system; FDI = foreign direct investment; PO = producer organization; PPP = public-private partnership; PS = private sector; R&D = research and development; STI = science, technology, and innovation.
