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Value chains, innovation systems and action research:

from principles to practice

Ranjitha Puskur and Alan Duncan

January 2009

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Overview of the presentation

Why a new approach for livestock development for poverty alleviation?

Innovation, Innovation Systems and Value Chains

Building innovation platformsLearning-oriented M&EScaling up and out

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Historical approaches to livestock development

(and their shortcomings)

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Adoption of new technologies by

smallholders is generally low

New technologies developed by researchers do not find their way into mainstream practice very easily

Picture of UMB Picture of maize lablabUrea straw treatment UMB

Images from FAO

Cereal/legume intercropping

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Historical approaches to livestock development

Research Extension Farmer

Linear thinking

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Why not?

Lack of economic assessment?Not dealing with true

constraints?Too knowledge intensive?Lack of systems to sustain

new technologies e.g. seed systems

Lack of attention to market for product

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Example: urea straw treatment

Technically attractive: improves nutritive value and intake of locally available resource

Successful in China where paddy straw available in excess, govt campaigns to push, subsidies on urea

Otherwise only works where researchers are present and yet …. still commonly “pushed”

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Features of new approaches to R4D

It is about change or “innovation” as an outcome– not just about information, knowledge or

technology as a product It places “research/technology”, as one

of the components contributing to the development process, rather than its pivotal point

It focuses on processes and performance rather than just products (technologies, policies)

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Defining principles

integrates the perspectives, knowledge and actions of different stakeholders around a common theme.

integrates the learning by stakeholders from working together.

integrates analysis, action and change across the different (environmental, social, economic) “dimensions” of development.

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Why is innovation important?

Globalisation

(knowledge

networks,

markets)

Institutions (local,

national, regional, global)

Markets

(consumption,

supermarkets,

integration)

Policy (d

ecentralisa

tion,

privatis

ation)

Population pressu

re

Climate

change

Emerging

infectious diseases

Intensification

Evolving challenges and opportunities

Huge implications for livestock-dependent poor and women

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What is innovation?“Process in which all types of knowledge (not just scientific and technology) are applied to achieve desired social and economic outcomes”

“It is the process by which social actors create value from knowledge”- Paul Engel

Technological Institutional (way things are routinely done) Organisational Policy

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If we always doWhat we always did,We will always get

What we always got!!!

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InnovationEmerges from multiple interactions and

joint learning among individuals and organizations – possessing different types of knowledge

– within a particular social, economic, political, policy and institutional context

Innovation processes can be enhanced by creating more possibilities for actors to interact - (key actors along the value chain – innovation platforms)

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Value chain and innovation systems

Urbanwholesaler

Rural Farmer

CollectorUrban dairyproducer

Urbanconsumer

Sorghum

Rural farmer

Chopped stover

Collector

Bagged stover

Urbanwholesaler

Raw milk

Urbandairy producer

Proc. Milk

Urbanconsumer

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Embedding research and extension in a wider

system

Urbanwholesaler

Rural Farmer

CollectorUrban dairyproducer

UrbanconsumerUrban

wholesaler

Rural Farmer

CollectorUrban dairyproducer

Urbanconsumer

Research ExtensionUrban

wholesaler

Rural Farmer

CollectorUrban dairyproducer

UrbanconsumerUrban

wholesaler

Rural Farmer

CollectorUrban dairyproducer

Urbanconsumer

Research

Extension

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Small holder/Dairy cattle

Hub/Local org.

Milk collection

Milk processing/marketing

Breeding services

Vaccinations

Deworming

Disease Investigation

Veterinary services

Breed selectionSuperior germplasm

Performance evaluation

Lab servicesInput supply

ParavetVeterinarian

SeedsFertilizers

Feed/MineralsMicro-financeCrop residues

Fodder production

Pasture development

Water conservation/ supply

Fodder producers /Traders

Plant breedersSoil scientists

Small Scale Dairyvalue chain

Training /Capacity building

Monitoring /Evaluation

Consumer

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Do not exist ‘out there”

Exist “in the minds of those who define them”

Can be used in 2 different ways– As an analytical

framework – As a framework to

achieve social change

IS and VC ..

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Why do we need to pay attention to innovation as a process?

Farmer adopting integrated system

Research

Technology

Bulker

Goat Value Chain

‘PULL’

Retailmarkets

Supermarkets

Restaurants

Processor

Veterinary Value Chain

Genetics Value Chain

Feed Value Chain

Knowledge

Market Information

Credit

Policy

Organisational

‘PUSH’

How do we get all of these actors working together

to identify problems and co-create solutions

as the value chains evolve?

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Building innovation platforms

Landscaping to identify key actors along the value chain

Understand their habits and practices; incentives and motivations

Outcome mapping Joint actionM&L for course correction

and lesson learning

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Innovation platforms a fluid entity - evolving membership, drawing in relevant expertise

depending on the problem being addressed

facilitate dialogue between the main local players in the value chain

identify bottlenecks and opportunities in production, marketing and the policy environment

identify market requirements (quantity, quality, and the timing of sales)

analyse existing production strategies

identify and implement technologies to improve production to fulfill market demand

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Challenges..

often no formal relation between the actors involved – no clear hierarchy

where collaboration does not happen spontaneously, “institutional vacuum” at the inter-organisational level – makes innovation difficult – raises complex questions on governance and management

negotiating mutually agreed action plans between the different independent actors involved is a challenge– concerted implementation of these plans is an even bigger challenge!

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Challenges..

requires the development by all actors involved of new ways of working together– new rules and regulations, new codes of conduct

and conflict resolution, etc., i.e. new institutions

can result from a process of institutional and behavioural change – requires an enabling environment and external

facilitation

leadership and the existence of champions very important to form innovation partnerships and make them work

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What this approach is not.. not a fixed method, approach or

specific process that can be applied as an alternative to “conventional” research and development

the conceptualisation and practice needs to go beyond methods or approaches to include changes of personal skills, mindsets and attitudes, organisational practices and culture, and the ways in which organisations interact as part of the wider “innovation system”

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Livestock system context-Biophysical -Technical-Social -Economic

-Political - Institutional

System diagnosis

Drivers/Factors-Preferences -Policy and institutions

-Knowledge -Culture-Risk and vulnerability –Infrastructure

Environment - Technology

Current state of a agricultural issue

Current actors, alignment and practices

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Pilot testing of interventions

Design of interventions-Capacity building of actors

-Enrolment and alignment of actors -Changes in institutions

-Technical options

BaselineContext Drivers

Actors Linkages

Changes-Actors- Institutions

-Alignment -Organizations-Practices -Policy

M&E andLearning

Lessons and

principles

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Case study – Ada’a woreda Ethiopia

Currently teff/vegetables – potential for dairy

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Identify a range of technical Identify a range of technical options to offer to farmersoptions to offer to farmers

Experimenting with Experimenting with stakeholder platforms for stakeholder platforms for livestock development – the livestock development – the processprocess

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Conduct focus group meetings Conduct focus group meetings involving stakeholders and farmers to involving stakeholders and farmers to identify constraints to improved identify constraints to improved commodity production and ways of commodity production and ways of alleviating themalleviating them

31Facilitate farmers to develop a strategy

for testing new fodder options

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Arrange supply of Arrange supply of appropriate inputs appropriate inputs

e.g. seed or planting e.g. seed or planting materialmaterial

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Use interest generated by interventions to draw

together stakeholder group

Regular meetings of stakeholder group– Review progress– Update rolling action plans– Agree joint actions– Occasional field days– Ad hoc meetings on specific issues– initiated by FAP but with a vision for this

role to be passed on

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Rolling action plan - example

Activity Responsibility Time line

Focus Group Discussion OoLA, FAP, IPMS Jan-Feb

Training FAP, EMDTI, IPMS, DZARC, OoLA Mar-Apr

Forage Seed Supply OoLA, FAP, IPMS, Crop Grow May

Cross bred cows faciliatation OoLA, Adaa Dairy Coop, EMDTI, DZARC Year round

Ensuring AI and Vet Services OoLA, IPMS, Land Olakes, DZARC Year round

Facilitating Milk transport and Marketing

OoLA, Adaa Dairy Coop, FAP, Adaa DairyCoop, Coop Promotion Year round

Facilitating Credit Access Coop Promotion, IPMS Year round

Rapid Market Appraisal for milk and feed FAP, EMDTI, IPMS, DZARC, OoLA Feb

Facilitate Stake holders Platform OoLA, FAP, IPMS Year round

Fodder - Dairy Economics FAP, EMDTI, DZARC, OoLA Jan-Mar

Monitoring & Evaluation of all activities OoLA, OoARD, all other stake holders Year round

Documentation of activities and processes OoLA, FAP, IPMS Year round

Over all Coordination OoARD, OoLA, FAP Year round

Monitoring

Date FAP IPMS OPRD Farmers ATARC Zone Pastoral

New actors?

Change to linkages

Change in Behaviour

Change in Context

05-Dec-08

* * * *

Commitment of other stakeholders to hold a meeting at ATARC was a sign of appreciating actor network

Stakeholders agreed to take responsibilities related to their mandate areas

27-Jan-09

* * * * * * Zonal Pastoral office

Farmer to farmer forage seed tansfer

Actors appreciated joint planing and share of responsibilities. Farmers expressed willingness to commit land to forage crops

March 10-12, 2009

* * * * * OPRD and IPMS took the intiative and requested for assement of rangelands

IMPS agreed to cover the allownce for researchers from ATRAC

Actors IS changes

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FAP

IPMS Ministry (extension)

NARSFAP

IPMS Ministry (extension)

NARS

Fodder options

identified

Seedsourced

44 farmers plant on own fields

X-bred cows sourced

Farmers purchase

seed

60 farmers plant on own fields

Milk transport issues voiced

May 2008

Oct 2009

Dairy co-op formed

FAP

IPMS Ministry (extension)

NARS

Ethiopian Meat & Dairy

Tech Inst.

Eden FieldSeeds

Land o Lakes

FAP

IPMS Ministry (extension)

NARS

Ethiopian Meat & Dairy

Tech Inst.

Eden FieldSeeds

Land o Lakes

Milk transport negotiations

ongoing

FAP

IPMS Ministry (extension)

NARS

Ethiopian Meat & Dairy

Tech Inst.

Eden FieldSeeds

Land o Lakes

Ada’a Dairy Co-op

Crop Growplc

Godino DairyCo-op

FAP

IPMS Ministry (extension)

NARS

Ethiopian Meat & Dairy

Tech Inst.

Eden FieldSeeds

Land o Lakes

Ada’a Dairy Co-op

Crop Growplc

Godino DairyCo-op

Org

anisa

tional in

novatio

nTech

nica

l innovatio

nInnovation processes in Ada’a

Ethiopia

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M&E for learningFor whom? Actors involved in the system

Who assesses? Actors, based on their different perceptions

What kind of indicators?

Primarily process indicators

Time frame Continuous, periodical

How is assessment done?

Self assessment, group reflection, interaction

What is the product?

Lessons learned, improved practices, redefined objectives of needed

For what use? Track progress, improve performance, strengthen capacity, advocacy, feed into planning

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Dimensions of IS performance

Enhanced linkages, networking and knowledge sharing among different groups of actors

Improved institutional and policy environment and increased resource mobilization

Improved information, communication and marketing infrastructure

Enhanced capacity at individual, organizational and inter-organizational levels

Increased value created– Enhanced market opportunities/access; value chain

development and income growth– Enhanced natural resource use and eco-system

performance

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What needs to be scaled up/out?

Principles and methods of stimulating local innovation processes

Lessons from experience in supporting institutional change

Lessons in building multi-stakeholder partnerships to create enabling conditions for local innovation processes

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Key questions to steps in scaling out process

What factors can be identified as critical for making sustainable an innovation?– Socio-economic-cultural

embedding

How to identify end-users, actors and parties directly or indirectly affected by the introduction of innovation?

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Key questions to steps in scaling out process

How can different actors be involved in the innovation process?

At which stage and to what extent they may influence the change?

What is the best level of participation?

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ILRI is creating and integrating knowledge to enable diverse

partners to find innovative solutions to make livestock a sustainable pathway out of

poverty