Dr. Stefano Marras
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Dr. Stefano Marras
Dear ATIO team
Please, find attached my submission on behalf of Bayer Crop Science for the FSN Consultation on the ATIO Knowledge Base. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute and look forward to any feedback or further discussions.
Best regards,
Stefano Marras
Director, Global Partnerships – UN Affairs
Bayer Crop Science
FSN Consultation
Contribute to shaping the design of the Agrifood System Technologies & Innovations Outlook (ATIO) Knowledge Base
Submission by Stefano Marras, Director, Global Partnerships – UN Affairs, Bayer Crop Science
Overall, for private companies in the agri-food sector, the ATIO KB can serve as a critical tool for decision-making, product development, market analysis, and investment prioritization, enabling to leverage science, technology, and innovation effectively.
As a company involved in the agrifood system, the ATIO KB can be a useful resource for identifying innovative products tailored to specific regions. For instance, if we are looking to introduce a new product in a particular country, the ATIO KB can provide detailed information on existing similar products, their readiness levels, and how they fare against adoptability criteria such as profitability, accessibility, acceptability, and sustainability. This information can help companies make informed decisions about market entry and product development.
Another use case is utilizing the ATIO KB's statistical data to analyze the correlation between the level of inclusivity or co-design of solutions and their adoption rates. By accessing structured data on various innovations, we can identify patterns and insights that demonstrate the impact of inclusive and participatory approaches on the success of agricultural technologies. This can guide companies’ strategies for developing and promoting products that are more likely to be adopted by diverse user groups.
The ATIO KB's focus on grassroots innovations is particularly relevant for the training programs implemented by companies for their costumers (e.g. farmers, processors, retailers, consumers, etc). By accessing information on customer-led innovations and their contextual applications, companies can incorporate these grassroots solutions into their training modules, thus promoting locally relevant and sustainable practices. For example, companies might find innovative irrigation techniques developed by local farmers that can be scaled and adapted to other regions.
The comprehensive data in the ATIO KB can help companies identify gaps and investment opportunities in the agrifood sector. By analyzing the lifecycle coverage of various technologies and innovations, we can prioritize research and development efforts in areas with high potential for impact and scalability. This strategic approach can enhance the companies’ product portfolio and contribute to the transformation of agrifood systems.
2. What do you make of concepts like policy innovation and social innovation? Can you think of examples? Is it useful for you to be able to find such content? In which form do you expect to find them? How would you use them?
Policy Innovation refers to the development and implementation of new and effective policies that address existing problems or improve upon current policies. In the context of agrifood systems, policy innovation could involve creating regulations and policies that support sustainable agricultural practices, promote the adoption of new technologies, or enhance food security. For example, a policy innovation might be the introduction of subsidies for farmers who adopt climate-resilient crops or the establishment of new frameworks for carbon farming initiatives.
Social Innovation involves the creation and implementation of new strategies, concepts, ideas, and organizations that meet social needs and foster social relationships and collaborations. In agrifood systems, social innovations could include community-supported agriculture (CSA), where consumers directly support local farmers, or the establishment of cooperatives that empower small-scale farmers and improve their market access. Another example could be the development of digital platforms that connect farmers with buyers, reducing intermediaries and ensuring fair prices for agricultural products.
Usefulness of Finding Such Content:
For a private company, being able to find content on policy and social innovations is highly useful. These innovations can provide insights into successful strategies and models that can be adapted or replicated in different contexts. Understanding policy innovations can help companies align their operations and solutions with local regulations and take advantage of government incentives. Social innovations, on the other hand, can guide companies in developing initiatives that create shared value for both the companies and the communities that they serve.
Expected Form of Content:
We would expect to find content on policy and social innovations in several forms:
Usage of Content:
We would use the content on policy and social innovations in several ways:
3. How important is it to feature grassroots innovations? Looking at some records of grassroots innovations in the prototype, what would you like to see in the descriptions that you don’t see? Which dimension should we capture? What is most useful for grassroots use/application of innovations?
Grassroots innovations are crucial for several reasons. They often emerge from the practical experiences and needs of local communities, making them highly relevant and context-specific. These innovations can offer sustainable and affordable solutions that are tailored to the local environment and socio-economic conditions. By featuring grassroots innovations, the ATIO KB can ensure that the knowledge base is inclusive and representative of diverse innovation sources, thereby promoting a more equitable and holistic approach to agrifood system transformation.
Desired Descriptions for Grassroots Innovations:
When looking at records of grassroots innovations in the prototype, it is essential to include comprehensive descriptions that capture the following dimensions:
Most Useful Dimensions for Grassroots Use/Application of Innovations:
For grassroots use and application of innovations, the most useful dimensions to capture are:
By capturing these dimensions, the ATIO KB can provide a comprehensive and valuable resource for grassroots innovators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, enabling them to identify, assess, and adopt effective and sustainable innovations.
4. How do you think branded commercial products should be featured on the ATIO KB? Data sources of technology-related information often feature individual models of technologies (for instance, different models of solar-powered irrigation pumps). Should the ATIO KB feature models? What is the “innovation” unit you expect to find?
The ATIO KB should encompass both broader categories of innovations and individual models of technologies (including branded commercial products). By featuring both individual models and broader categories of innovations with detailed, holistic information, the ATIO KB can provide a valuable resource for policy makers, investors, innovators, and potential adopters, helping them make informed decisions and promote the adoption of appropriate and sustainable technologies in the agrifood sector.
The knowledge base should include:
The ATIO KB should provide holistic information on each innovation, including:
5. Here are two of the main taxonomies used in the prototype: types of innovations and use cases. Considering that there is no agreed standard for these categorizations, and that we are aligning them to those used in similar projects, are these “good enough” to start? Which major problems do you see? Please suggest changes or volunteer to help us improve them in the next months. Other taxonomies are here.
The taxonomies “types of innovations” and “use cases” are a good starting point. They provide a basic structure for organizing the information and make it easier for users to navigate the knowledge base. However, there are potential improvements and considerations to enhance their effectiveness:
Potential Limits and Suggestions for Improvement:
Other Taxonomies:
In addition to types of innovations and use cases, other taxonomies that could be considered include:
By incorporating these additional taxonomies, the ATIO KB can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced view of agrifood systems innovations, helping users make better-informed decisions and promoting the adoption of appropriate and sustainable solutions.
We are open to volunteering to help improve the taxonomies over the next months. This could involve participating in consultations, providing feedback based on the private sector’s expertise and user experiences, and collaborating with the ATIO KB team to refine the classification systems.
6. We are developing a chatbot-like search capability. Do you prefer the classic filter-based search or the chatbot search? Or the possibility of choosing either? Tell us how we can improve the search experience.
Classic Filter-Based Search:
The classic filter-based search allows users to narrow down their search results by applying various filters such as categories, tags, or specific criteria. This method is straightforward and efficient for users who know exactly what they are looking for and prefer a structured approach to finding information. It provides a clear and systematic way to explore the database, making it easy to compare different entries based on selected attributes. Advantages:
Chatbot Search:
A chatbot-like search capability offers a more interactive and conversational approach to finding information. Users can ask questions in natural language, and the chatbot can provide relevant answers, suggest related topics, and guide users through the knowledge base. This method is particularly useful for users who are not sure how to formulate their search queries or prefer a more guided and dynamic search experience. Advantages:
Combination of Both:
Given the diverse needs of users, offering both classic filter-based search and chatbot search capabilities would be the ideal solution. This hybrid approach allows users to choose the method that best suits their preferences and specific needs at any given time.
Suggestions:
By offering both classic filter-based search and chatbot search, and continuously improving these features based on user feedback and technological advancements, the ATIO KB can provide a versatile and user-friendly search experience that caters to a wide range of user needs and preferences.
7. We use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enrich and automatically categorize the records: you will see an AI stamp at the end of descriptions that have been generated by AI: how good is the text generated? Is AI enriching the records in a meaningful way?
The AI-generated text in the ATIO KB has the potential to significantly enrich the records and provide meaningful insights to users. However, it is crucial to ensure that the AI-generated content is accurate, relevant, and of high quality. A robust human review process, continuous improvement of AI algorithms, and user feedback mechanisms are essential to achieving this goal. By leveraging AI effectively, the ATIO KB can become a comprehensive, dynamic, and user-friendly resource for agrifood systems innovations.
Benefits of using AI in ATIO KB:
The quality of AI-generated text should be assessed based on: