Guidelines for innovation platforms

Innovation platforms are fast becoming part of the mantra of agricultural research-for-development projects and programmes. These guidelines will help research, development and funding agencies use them more effectively.

Innovation platforms are fast becoming part of the mantra of agricultural research-for-development projects and programmes, and are increasingly being proposed and used throughout the field. They provide a space for farmers, agricultural service providers, researchers, private sector and other stakeholders to jointly identify, analyze and overcome constraints to agricultural development.

While innovation platforms have been successful in addressing agricultural challenges, there is a risk that they are promoted as a panacea for problems in the sector.

A new booklet Guidelines for Innovation Platforms in Agricultural Research for Development is designed to help research, development and funding agencies use such platforms more effectively. Led by Marc Schut from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture/Wageningen University, scientists from 12 of the 15 CGIAR centres have co-authored the guidelines.

Speaking about why the guidelines are important, Dietmar Stoian, Senior Scientist, Value Chains and Private Sector Engagement, Bioversity International and one of the co-authors said, "Guidance on the scope and limitations of innovation platforms is very timely as researchers and their partners are exploring viable ways for generating science-based evidence to address challenges and opportunities with regard to agricultural development involving smallholders. Practitioners and donors will particularly appreciate insight into the process of creating such platforms, the arrangements needed to ensure sound collaboration across sectors, and complementary mechanisms to address some of the inherent shortcomings of innovation platforms."

Download the booklet: Guidelines for Innovation Platforms in Agricultural Research for Development.  

This text is adapted from a blog post on the CGIAR Research Program on Roots,Tubers and Bananas website.

Partners: This research is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas and is supported by CGIAR Fund Donors.

^{Photo: Farmers evaluating traits of wheat varieties, Ethiopia. Credit: Bioversity International/J.van de Gevel}