ENTREPRENEURS: WHAT SORT DO WE REALLY NEED?

A new class of entrepreneurs, often operating below the market and policy radar, is pioneering new, disruptive modes of innovation that address the social and environmental concerns that public policy is currently struggling to deal with. In the June 2010 edition of LINK Look Andy Hall argues that an emphasis on the private sector in innovation systems thinking — and an assumption that this means companies — has obscured the importance of other forms of entrepreneurship. Many of these have a long history in development practice. Perhaps it is time to look below the radar and support the entrepreneurship we find there.

RESEARCH INTO USE: AN EXPERIMENT IN INNOVATION

DFID's Research Into Use (RIU) Programme is one of a series of current innovation-centric agricultural development programmes attempting to reinvent how agricultural research is used for impact. In this month's LINK LOOK Andy Hall, Jeroen Dijkman and Rasheed Sulaiman V. introduce RIU and explain how it is organising its lesson learning to guide choices for public and private sector investment in innovation.

WILL A TIME OF PLENTY FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH HELP TO FEED THE WORLD?

Worries about food security and climate change and the rediscovery of the poverty-reducing potential of agricultural development has prompted a new rush to invest in agricultural research. In this month’s LINK LOOK Andy Hall and Jeroen Dijkman argue that much more than research is required and that what is now needed is a prominent development investor that will champion the idea of research as an integrated part of a more broadly-conceived capacity for change.

INNOVATION CAPACITY AND THE ELUSIVE LIVESTOCK REVOLUTION

In this month’s LINK LOOK, Jeroen Dijkman looks at the track record of ten years of ‘revolution’ in the livestock sector. Experience seems to suggest that only a few countries have managed to use these sector dynamics effectively for poverty reduction and economic growth. Not surprisingly, those who have been able to respond and innovate have done well. The rapid evolution of the sector offers opportunities for the poor, but more thought needs to be given to the kind of capacity that needs to be developed to be able to respond to the rapid - and often unpredictable - market, technological, social and environmental changes.

RETHINKING INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION

The balance of debates about innovation systems ideas in agricultural and rural development seems to have shifted from conceptualisation and historical analysis to planning and practice. National and international development agencies are now grappling with the need to rethink their investments in line with this new perspective. In this month’s LINK LOOK Andy Hall, Jeroen Dijkman and Rasheed Sulaiman V. suggest 10 priority topics where rethinking is needed and where there seems to be enough experience to provide advice.

LINK LOOK

Systems ideas about science, technology and innovation in development policy and practice appear to be experiencing something of a renaissance. The LINK LOOK is an update of recent initiatives, projects, programmes and meetings that have moved on from a technology transfer focus and are grappling with the wider innovation perspective — and the capacity building agenda it implies. By tracking different ways organisations are using and interpreting these ideas, LINK LOOK hopes to promote awareness of the existence of a diversity of new experiences about innovation and development. It is hoped this will encourage the sharing of ideas between practitioners, researchers and decision-makers. This bulletin covers recent activities at FARA, GFAR, IDRC, IDS and RIU.

MOVING FROM AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TO INNOVATION: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

In this month's LINK LOOK Andy Hall reflects on the growing number of agriculture and development projects, programmes, organisations and initiatives focusing on innovation and often using the innovation systems idea. What is driving this development, or is this just another passing fad? And what can be done to help this broad change in direction?

AN INNOVATION WISHLIST FOR ASPIRING PHILANTHROPISTS

In this month’s LINK LOOK, inspired by a glass or two of Christmas spirit, Andy Hall and Jeroen Dijkman share their own personal fantasies about how they would spend their billions if they were 21st century philanthropists.

INNOVATION INITIATIVES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2008

Last year we commented in the LINK LOOK on the growing number of agriculture and rural development projects, conferences and strategies that use the terms 'innovation' and 'innovation systems'. What should we expect from this trend? LINK LOOK starts off the new year with a round-up of 10 innovation initiatives to watch in 2008.

ASSISTING INNOVATION IN A GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

With agricultural science, technology and innovation rapidly becoming the topic of choice for development spending, what should countries in the North do if they want to add value rather than just give money to the South? In this month’s LINK LOOK Andy Hall explains why this question needs to be considered in the light of an emerging global knowledge economy.

NEGOTIATING A NEW AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION PARADIGM: THE ANATOMY OF THE DEBATE

The recently-concluded International Food Policy Research Institute conference, “Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries through Knowledge and Innovation”, was one more signal that the idea of an innovation system is now an integral part of the new international vision for agricultural development. In this month’s LINK LOOK Andy Hall says the conference also revealed this ambition is yet to be translated into action. More worrying is that critical sticking points — such as questions about how innovation should be evaluated — arise from the closely-guarded disciplinary perspectives of a small but powerful group of stakeholders in the international agricultural research community that has recently and reluctantly hitched itself to the agricultural innovation systems bandwagon.

STIMULATING PRO-POOR POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION: FROM PRESCRIPTION TO CAPACITY

In this edition of LINK LOOK Jeroen Dijkman shares some lessons from one of the founding bodies of LINK, the Pro-poor Livestock Policy Initiative (PPLPI) of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE ‘SUSSEX MANIFESTO’ REVISITED

The optimism of the 1960s placed great hope on harnessing science and technology for international development and produced bold plans, including the so-called Sussex Manifesto. Norman Clark reflects on the wise prescription from 40 years ago and wonders why development assistance so often went astray.

NEW GLOBAL ALLIANCES: THE END OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE?

With knowledge emerging as the currency of an innovation-driven global economy, new patterns of international interdependencies are starting to emerge that make terms such as ‘developed’ and ‘developing country’ and ‘donor’ and ‘recipient’ look increasingly irrelevant. In this month’s LINK LOOK Andy Hall and Jeroen Dijkman wonder whether this means it is time to radically rethink development assistance and the way it deals with agricultural science and technology. Can these emerging global knowledge alliances be harnessed for poverty reduction? Can national self interests replace the altruism of development assistance? Or do we risk even further dividing a world of haves and have nots into a world of knows and know nots?

FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC SYSTEM: DOOM OR DELIVERANCE FOR SOUTH ASIAN AGRICULTURE?

Agriculture in South Asia faces the spectre of the four modern day apocalyptic horsemen of the global economic system — hunger, climate change, trade competition and knowledge exclusion. In this month’s LINK LOOK Andy Hall and Rasheed Sulaiman V. argue that South Asia — a region that is home to half the world’s poor — is vulnerable to these challenges because of weaknesses in current patterns of agricultural innovation capacity. They also, however, argue that many of the capacity building blocks are already in place and that a few relatively simple institutional changes could unleash powerful creative forces capable of converting these harbingers of doom into poverty-reducing opportunities.

THE FALLACY OF UNIVERSAL SOLUTIONS IN EXTENSION: IS ATMA THE NEW T&V?

The universal application of the T&V model of agricultural extension in more than 50 countries is one of agricultural development’s best known failures. The approach worked well in places where it was originally developed, but proved inappropriate almost everywhere else. In this month’s LINK LOOK, Rasheed Sulaiman V. and Andy Hall worry that an apparently successful extension innovation piloted in India is set to suffer a similar fate. Is there an alternative to promoting turnkey, “one-size fits all” approaches in countries as vast as India — where agriculture-related poverty needs urgent solutions? Is extension still a relevant concept?

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: LESSONS FOR STRENGTHENING INNOVATION CAPACITY

As the dust starts to settle on the near meltdown of the world’s financial systems, it’s becoming increasingly clear that weak regulation is to blame. Does this mark the beginning of the end for public policy’s love affair with unrestrained private sector-led development? In this edition of LINK LOOK Andy Hall wonders whether there aren’t some parallels and lessons for efforts to strengthen agricultural innovation capacity in the South.

2009: THE DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD

After the doom and gloom that ended the last year, 2009 can’t get much worse. Or can it? In this month’s LINK LOOK, Kumuda Dorai gives her list of 10 things to watch out for in 2009. Some are worrying, some are cheering and there are some old perennials thrown in for good measure.

BETTER RESEARCH COMMUNICATION: WILL IT ENHANCE INNOVATION & IMPACT?

A recent trend in development research programmes is to devote more resources to communication in the hope that results and evidence will reach audiences who can use this for innovation and impact. In this month's LINK LOOK Andy Hall cautions that while this is very welcome, it is no substitute to better linking of research to innovation in the first place.