Tools
1. Participatory Rural Innovation (PRI) is a methodological strategy that provides incentives for the interaction of technical initiatives and social, personal and business growth for communities, with the goal of finding collective solutions to the real problems of the groups that manage them. PRI has four components:
- Participatory technological improvements
- Organizational development for innovation
- Empowerment of small rural producers
- Participatory rural entrepreneurship
2. Farmer field schools: Initiated by FAO, these schools use innovative, participatory methods for farmers to share and disseminate their experiences and knowledge, thereby improving their capacities through an exchange process. See more at Farmer field schools.
3. Rural promotion: These low-cost participatory rural extension models offer the opportunity to expand the extension agent’s coverage, as compared to conventional extension systems (FAO, 2011). The promoters are leading producers recognized by the community as facilitators of technology adoption processes, who do not receive any monetary compensation for their work in order to help their community or group (FAO, 2011).
Innovation incentives and resources
- Decentralized research to bring scientists closer to clients and to focus research on local problems and opportunities.
- Competitive funds for promoting demand-led research by involving key beneficiaries in establishing priorities, formulating projects and selecting proposals.
- Municipal and tax incentives for innovation.
- Investment in public research and consulting systems.
- User incentives for innovation.
- Conditional fund programs for groups of farmers and communities that enable the dissemination of new technologies.