inclusive innovation space? the bean value chain...

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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative

Research on Grain Legumes

Inclusive innovation space? The Bean Value Chain Innovation Platform in Masaka district,

central Uganda

Naboth BwambaleRob Mazur

Iowa State University

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Grain Legumes

Agricultural Research and Development plays a significant role in:• Generating, promoting and facilitating dissemination of new

agricultural innovations (technologies) and • Knowledge for sustained and increased productivity among

smallholders. Despite efforts in generating new agricultural innovations to improve food security, poverty and livelihoods among smallholders, many are not widely disseminated or adopted.• Traditional processes are linear - innovations are produced and

‘transferred’ to end users• Innovation involves not merely technologies but also social and

institutional changes.

Introduction

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http://hdl.handle.net/10568/34157

• Innovation Platform (IP) - diverse stakeholders convene and collaborate using interactive learning processes to address common concerns through joint action; can stimulate inclusive agricultural innovation and transfer in agriculture value chains.

• Inclusive Innovation • Production of new goods and services for/by marginalized

categories (women, youth, disabled, rural poor smallholders) excluded from development mainstream (Heeks et al., 2014)

• These groups are key stakeholders in design, experimentation and development of new agric. knowledge and technologies


• Previous studies examined how IPs foster innovation among farmers

• Research gap for evaluating and documenting extent to which these platforms enhance inclusiveness during their formation and operation

• This study evaluated the extent to which the formation and functioning of the IP has led to inclusive innovation.• Formation - design and structuring phase of the innovation

platform• Functioning - joint planning and coordination through

iterative learning, action and reflection processes (Swaans et al., 2014)

Problem Statement

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• Case study design with bean producers in the ‘farmer decision making’ research project.

• Data collection involved:– Focus Group Discussions with IP stakeholders

(7 farmer FGDs; 3 Key Informant Interviews)– Archival data (IP meeting reports since inception)

• Data analysis – Thematic content analysis based on analytical framework (Swaans et al., 2014).

Research Methods


• IP is comprised of two levels (district and sub-county) for smallholders’ representation and active participation in decision-making processes with other actors

• Prioritization of issues addressed by the IP follows a participatory consultative process facilitated by researchers, and is strongly tied to smallholders’ farming context, experiences, and experimentation.

• While the IP was initiated by the research team, leadership and day-to-day management of IP affairs is private sector led (an agricultural credit financial institution hosts meetings and leads resource mobilization).

Findings - Formation

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• Based on attendance records for IP meetings, there is active participation of all stakeholders during the planning and implementation phases of IP activities during and between bean cropping seasons.

• There are strong communication and knowledge sharing mechanisms established between IP actors, particularly input suppliers and the credit financial institution.

• Facilitation by the research team has established further linkages and partnerships along the bean value chain (e.g., with the NARO pre-cooked bean project, contract farming with a local seed multiplication organization).

Findings - Functioning


Stakeholders’ Level of EngagementFORMATION FUNCTIONING

Researchers Microcredit Seed Producer

Researchers Microcredit Seed Producer

Sub-County

Mukungwe +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++Lwankoni +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++Kabonera +++ + +++

Level of Engagement: + = Weak, + + = Moderate, + + + = Strong

• Inclusive participation of marginalized groups in the innovation process within the IP is contingent on links to locally-based organizations (microcredit, seed producer)

• e.g., low performance in Kabonera can be attributed to death of the area extension officer who actively linked IP farmer groups to the area based organizations

Level of Engagement: + = Weak, + + = Moderate, + + + = Strong

• Inclusive participation of marginalized groups in the innovation process within the IP is contingent on links to locally-based organizations (microcredit, seed producer)

• e.g., low performance in Kabonera can be attributed to death of the area extension officer who actively linked IP farmer groups to the area based organizations

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• Effective IP facilitation plays a significant role in improving the quality of interactions, everyone’s confidence in having an ‘equal voice’, and building trust among stakeholders.

• Strong linkages to credit and input suppliers, particularly seed producers, underscores the need for IPs to have meaningful incentives for stakeholder engagement.

• Efficient and effective information sharing and communication mechanisms among IP actors lead to increased access and timely delivery of goods and services (seed, credit and knowledge about increased bean crop production and improved soil fertility management).

• Tangible improvements in crop productivity can lead to long-term improvements in soil fertility.

Conclusions


1. Ayatunde, A.A., Swaans, K., Some H., & Pali, P. (2016). Assessing the Performance of Innovation Platforms in Crop-livestock Agro-ecosystems in the Volta Basin. African Journal of Agricultural Research 11(3):3141-3153.

2. Foster, C., and Heeks, R. (2013). “Conceptualizing inclusive Innovation : Modifying Systems Innovation Frameworks to Understand Diffusion of New Technology to Low-Income Consumers.” European Journal for Development Research 259(3):333-355.

3. Heeks, R., Foster, C., & Nugroho, Y. (2014). New Models for Inclusive Innovation for Development

4. Swaans, K., Boogaard, B., Bendapudi, R., Taye, H., Hendrickx, S., & Klerkx, L. (2014). Operationalizing inclusive innovation: lessons from innovation platforms in livestock value chains in India and Mozambique. Innovation and Development, 4(2), 239–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/2157930X.2014.925246

References

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