Publications
The aim of this study is to understand the local innovation processes in South Tyrol and specifically to try to understand the constraints and opportunities for the Learning and Innovation Network for Sustainable Agriculture (LINSA), a highly sophisticated and adaptive network comprising the various stakeholders involved in apple production and marketing in the region.
Occasional papers on Innovation in Family Farming
The FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean has been working in support of family farming with its member countries, forming a network of experts with over a hundred participants from 33 countries in the region. This book systematizes experiences and lessons to contribute to the dialogue and formulation of public policies to address the challenges faced by family farmers, highlighting experiences and projects that strengthened the management of their organizations, the sustainable intensification of production and the access to markets and value chains. (In Spanish)
Over 600 people subscribed to this 4-week long conference, which finished on 1 June 2014. They posted 109 messages which came from people living in 38 different countries - 58% were posted by people living in developing countries. Most discussions focused on issues related to micro-level impact assessment (typically looking at the impacts of a specific research project in one part of a country) rather than macro-level impact assessment (typically looking at the impacts of investments in agricultural research, or one of its sectors, at the national level).
The Research and Extension Unit provided key inputs in the researching and writing of the State of Food and Agriculture 2014. The report analyses family farms and the role of innovation in ensuring global food security, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. It argues that family farms must be supported to innovate in ways that promote sustainable intensification of production and improvement in rural livelihoods.
The materials covered in this collection have been prepared for use by all service providers concerned with promoting farming as a business – whether they work for the private, NGO, or public sector. This could include the public sector extension workers who are involved in farm business management and marketing, private sector business service providers, NGOs and policy-makers. Further, it is hoped that the material will encourage decision-makers in countries where farm management extension positions have not been established to set up such positions.