Information Management for Agricultural Innovation

Ajit Maru

GFAR Secretariat

OutlineAgriculture Development, Knowledge and

Innovation and GFAR’s RoleUnderstanding Agricultural Innovation and

Agricultural Innovation SystemsEnabling Information and Knowledge Systems

for Agricultural InnovationExamples of Information and Knowledge Systems

that contribute to Agricultural InnovationStrategy and Interventions by ARD Stakeholders

Agricultural Development, Knowledge and Innovation

Agricultural development depends to a great extent on how successfully knowledge is generated, shared and applied....for innovation.

GFAR’s role The Global Forum on Agricultural

Research has emphasized the need for all ARD stakeholders to enable agricultural innovation systems and promote agricultural innovation for development.

Key Question

How can we, as NARS leaders and information systems managers, contribute to enabling of (information and) knowledge systems that support agricultural innovation systems and contribute to agricultural innovation?

Understanding InnovationInnovation is a process of generating, accessing and putting knowledge into use.

The determinants of innovation are the interactions of different people and their ideas and the social setting of these interactions and relations.

Agricultural Innovation

Agricultural innovation is different than research.

“It is not a linear process of research institutes being creators of knowledge and technology, extension as its diffuser and farmers as adopters”.

Agricultural InnovationAgriculture innovation can occur at any node, such as Producer or Processor, in a Value Addition / Supply / Market Chain activity:

Input provider

Producer

Processor

Market Intermediary

Consumer

Defining “Agricultural Innovation Systems”

Defining an Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) is still difficult; more so in the context of small holder producers of the South.

Defining “Agricultural Innovation Systems”

In Industry or the Services sectors, agricultural innovation systems are based on:The “Silicon Valley” model where scientific and

technological institutions drive innovation and are part of the system

The “Cathedral” or “Microsoft Windows” model where private sector drives innovation

The “Bazaar” or “Open Source/Linux” model where a community participates innovation

Defining “Agricultural Innovation Systems”In Agriculture?

Distinction emerging between North with more developed, Industrialized agriculture and the South, largely small holder producer, resource poor based agriculture.The North has “Silicon Valley” and “Cathedral” Models with emergence of new knowledge intermediaries .

Defining “Agricultural Innovation Systems”In agriculture of the South, development

of agricultural innovation systems may be:Driven by the public sector through the NARS

Driven by the private sector and in partnership with the public sector NARS

Driven by the “agricultural” community

Defining “Agricultural Innovation Systems”

In my opinion, all three models will operate simultaneously so we have to continue to strengthen information management for the NARS but also address the demands for information and knowledge of the “agricultural community” to enable innovation”.

Innovation Systems Thinking

Innovation systems thinking recognizes that innovation and change can originate and be catalyzed anywhere in the network in an activity and that relations among the actors are key to knowledge sharing and application.

Innovation Systems ThinkingInnovation processes can be enhanced by creating more possibilities for actors to interact.

This is the core determinant for starting information support for agricultural innovation.

In innovation systems, information and knowledge is usually shared across a community bound by common needs, interests, values etc and not by “scientific disciplines” or “professions”.

Innovation Systems Thinking

Parameters for Developing Information and Knowledge Systems for innovation

Actors Information Needs of the actorsInformation Sources for the actorsInformation Flows between the actorsServices that can satisfy the actor’s

information needsTechnology for the Services

Actors in Agricultural Innovation

Input provider

Producer

Processor

Market Intermediary

Consumer

Information needs of innovators in agriculture are complex and driven by the need to be competitive: reduce cost, time in production or processing, improve quality and/or reduce human pain and risk.

The information needs for innovation are now related to participation in markets, how others are solving similar problems and awareness about available solutions.

Information Needs for Agricultural Innovation

There are several sources of information for actors in agricultural innovation. They provide Market related information and “know how”. The sources for “know where” and “know who” however is weak.

Information Sources

In many instances, information producers are themselves also consumers of information (Prosumers).

New “Guilds” or organization of groups of actors in the agricultural value addition chain are emerging as providers of information and knowledge, for example seed, fertilizer and pesticide suppliers, market intermediaries and producer organizations.

We must promote, support and add value to these groups in their ICM and KM activities

Information Sources

Information Flow in Agricultural Innovation SystemInformation flows in an Innovation System are as in a network. They are complex.

With use of ICTs there are no geographic limitations to sharing of information and knowledge.

The role of ICT

Services and TechnologyQuestion and Answer (Q&A)

Services through use of Telephony, Internet and Digital means

Online Social NetworksElectronic DiscussionsCommunity of PracticesWikisBlogs

Services and TechnologyInformation repositories including

databases and value added services such as for forecasts on weather, prices, transportation, consumer preferences etc

Advanced Search EnginesKnowledge based services through

knowledge intermediariesLearning opportunities at Community

and Individual level

ExamplesQ&A Services

Aaqua:http://aaqua.persistent.co.in/aaqua/forum/index

ExamplesQ &A Services.. Cont’dRice Doctor

http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/RiceDoctor/default.htm

Ask FAOhttp://www.fao.org/askfao/home.do

FAO’s Technology for Agriculture (TECA)http://www.fao.org/sd/teca/

ExamplesWikis

Wikipedia: Agropediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Agropedia

India / Indian Institute of Technologyhttp://opaals.iitk.ac.in/agropedia/

Japan / JIRCAShttp://rms1.agsearch.agropedia.affrc.go.jp/menu_en.html

RUN Network and Kitabu

ExamplesCommunity of Practice of Farmers

Mentored by Rural Development Agency, Republic of Korea

L3Farmers: Life Long Learning for Farmers, Learning Opportunities using ICT enabled Information Systems for Agricultural Communities in several Commonwealth Countries

What should be our Strategy? Our strategy should be to enable

these services through agricultural development stakeholders including the farmer organizations, community based organizations, non-government organizations, private sector, research and education institutions rather than to develop them through the public sector “NARS” Institutions.

New Institutional FrameworksWe also need:

New Institutional FrameworksHow to support these new information and knowledge services for agricultural innovation?Public Sector support ?Community based support ?Private Sector Support?Partnerships between Sectors?

New Institutional FrameworksWe also need:

New Institutional FrameworksHow to tackle issues of “Intellectual

Property” on knowledge generated through a community

How to enable greater coherence in information flows related to agriculture and its development

How to create “Learning Opportunities” that enable knowledge access equitably in a community and globally

New CapacitiesWe also need new capacities such as in:

Using new information technologies and tools to support ICM and KM for AIS

Generating and managing information and knowledge objects

Enabling and promoting ICT enabled social networks

Creating and supporting learning opportunities

What can GFAR do?

Create Awareness and Advocate how ICTs, information and knowledge systems can enable AIS and contribute to agricultural innovation.

Strengthen the capacities of its stakeholder groups in ICM and KM to contribute to development of AIS.

What can GFAR do?Contribute to development of robust

Institutional Frameworks for supporting agricultural innovation through coherence and governanceInformation Management Standards, Norms

etc.Identifying and propagating appropriate

information management tools and applications

Governance structures for information and knowledge sharing

What is GFAR doing ?GFAR’s stakeholders activities

IISAST (CABI,CGIAR, CTA, FAO, GFAR, IAALD, SIST, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY) AdvocacyInformation Management

Standards and NormsTools and Applications

Capacity Development

What is GFAR doing?EGFAR

Gateway and Node for information on critical issues of ARD

The re-engineered EGFAR as a Model Webspace and Platform for Regional and NAR Information SystemsMy EGFARElectronic Repository Forum with a GFAR

ARD Ontology and Integration with AGRISIntegration of databases on ARD Institutions,

Experts and ProjectsIntegration of databases on ARD stakeholders

ARD Webring

Thank You