Engaging local stakeholders in

more inclusive innovation processes: Lessons from a review of innovation experiences

in African smallholder agriculture

Bernard Triomphe, Anne Floquet, Brigid Letty, Geoffrey Kamau, Ann Waters-Bayer

International Conference on Integrated Systems Research

Session 9, Theme 3: “Institutional & Methodological Issues in Working in Multi-Stakeholder Settings”

Ibadan, 5 March 2015

2 objectives of this talk, 3 days into the conference:

Illustrate what innovation processes (rather than farming ssystems) involving small holders across Africa look like

Recommend that research interventions should build systematically on local innovation dynamics, rather than being parachuted in the local landscape as if innvoation had to be started from scratch

Introduction

What was JOLISAA all about by the way?

Sincere acknowledgements to our sponsor: EU FP7

“ To assess & learn jointly from recent experiences across Africa about …

… how innovation processes involving multiple stakeholders & types of knowledge operate…,

…in order to identify concrete priorities for research, practice & policy…

…for addressing the needs & demands of smallholders & other rural actors.”

JOLISAA Overall objective

No intervention, pure « assessment » and « learning ex –post / (in itinere)

Innovation: type, nature, domain

Stakeholders’ roles & interactions

Role of local knowledge

Innovation triggers & drivers

Innovation phases & dynamics

Scale at which innovation is taking place

Results and “Impact” obtained

Triomphe et al., 2013, Triomphe et al., 2014

an hybrid analytical framework inspired by the

Innovation System perspective

57 innovation cases

(Benin, Kenya,

S. Africa)

Case 1

Lessons Case 13

Collab. assessment

Case Select ion

Inventory

Anal. framework

Feb/10 Jul/Nov 13

13 cases

Cross-Analysis

Nov/11

JOLISAA Process

Type of innovation

Natural Resource Management Value chain development

Benin • Integrated soil fertility management

• Hwedo agrofishing system

• Soy foods • Rice parboiling

Kenya • Soil liming • Prosopis management

• Aloe domestication • Mango processing • Solar milk cooling • Gadam sorghum

South Africa

• Integrated soil fertility management

• In-field rain water harvesting

• Input bulk buying

JOLISAA 13 Cases

Zoom on one innovation case: Domestication & marketing of Aloe

in semi-arid Baringo, Kenya

Belmin et al., 2013 Chengole et al., 2014

Aloe secundiflora Aloe turkanensis

Aloe Innovations

Exploitation of wild Aloe

Aloe plantations

Aloe-based cosmetics

+ organizational / institutional innovations (AMUs, PPP, certification)

2 mostly parallel innovation processes

1

Communautés de Kolowa, Loruk,

Radat

Communautés de Tangulbei et

Mukutani

Commerçants

KWS

KOKISA Land Mawe

LTD

Groupes de paysans

KEFRI

CDTF

2

Communautés de Koriema, Kimalel et

Sabor

Communautés de Kolowa, Loruk,

Radat

BABE LTD

CITES

AMUs

Communautés des divisions Baringo North & Koibatek

GoK

3

Actor networks of the Baringo Aloe innovation system & their interactionse

Triggers & drivers

Search for livelihood option in semi-arid region

Overexploitation of wild resource (aloe)

Change in regulatory framework (export ban on wild aloe products)

Main Stakeholders

Farmers / communities, formal research, aloe traders & other private entrepreneurs, government (external donors)

The Aloe innovation process in a nutshell 1/2

Key challenges encountered Identifying and accessing (export) markets

for Baringo aloe

Obtaining “fair” prices (for processed aloe sap, for buying raw sap to farmers)

Interactions & synergies between formal R&D institutions & trader-led Aloe networks

Transparent & efficient management of aloe factory

Leadership

Going beyond public funding

Etc.

The Aloe innovation process in a nutshell … 2/2

Predominance of market-driven innovation

Diversity (1) of stakeholders involved in innovation, (2) of innovation triggers & drivers (internal, external), (3) of innovation dimensions (technical, social, institutional)

10 years minimum relevant timeframe for making sense of (and supporting!) innovation dynamics (often several decades…)

A rather ambivalent link between innovation & externally-funded (R&D) interventions

Four key features of innovation across 3 countries

Key recommendations

① Build on local dynamics: innovation “in the social wild”

② Combine local & external knowledge & ideas

to enhance innovative capacity (1+1=3)

③ Encourage access to diverse value chains

to lower the innovation risks

④ Support unpredictable innovation processes

⑤ Address the multiple dimensions of innovation

Five lessons for enhancing innovation by smallholder farmers

Fact: With little or no support from public research & development (R&D) institutions, smallholders & other local STH are innovating individually & collectively to: solve problems improve their farming & income grasp new opportunities etc.

How to identify & assess such dynamics and then

build on the most relevant (promising) ones,

rather than parachuting our own things and IPs?

Big role for systems research?!

1. Build on innovation

“in the social wild”

Endogenous aquaculture development in Benin

Harvesting aloe for informal market chain in Kenya

Build on existing innovation dynamics! Provide longer-term, flexible funding to support existing

development dynamics in smallholder farming – & to enhance the collective capacity to innovate of involved stakeholders

Encourage multi-stakeholder alliances / arenas / platforms at different levels – and not only for value chains…

Strengthen innovation brokerage capacities, especially in rural advisory services

Integrate innovation system (and system!) concepts, approaches, tools into agricultural education and on-the-job training for different types of stakeholders (incl. researchers…)

And also… Contribute to changing the incentive / rewards system and rules of

operation of our own research and donor organizations

In conclusion: promising paths to support & promote innovation

KARI: G. Kamau, T. Ng’ang’a, J. Kavoi UAC : S.D Vodouhe, A. Floquet, R. Mongbo, Ri. Tossou, UP: J. Stevens, B. Letty, G. Rootman WUR: J. van den Berg, T. Crane, C. Almekinders ICRA: N. Sellamna, R. Hawkins ETC: A. Waters-Bayer, N. Oudwater, M. Mariana CIRAD: B. Triomphe, B. Bridier, H. Hocdé (Coordination) And many researchers, practitioners & small holders in Benin, Kenya & South Africa

www.jolisaa.net (not updated yet!)

Thank you for your attention! Participants JOLISAA 2010-2013