Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP)

Post-Event Highlights: Enabling Pluralistic Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) through Digital Innovation 🌾 We are excited to share the successful conclusion of our event that brought together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders to explore the role of digital innovation in enabling pluralistic Extension and Advisory Services (EAS). The discussions highlighted how technology and collaboration are driving impactful change to empower farmers and smallholders globally. Key Contributions: 🔹 Welcoming remarks by Sridhar Dharmapuri (FAORAP), emphasizing the importance of pluralistic EAS in modern agriculture. 🔹 Keynote Speech by Dr. Saravanan Raj (Director, MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management) Hyderabad, India) on the transformative role of digital tools in extending outreach to diverse stakeholders. 🔹 Insights on AESA’s role in supporting pluralistic EAS in Asia by Rasheed Sulaiman V (Director, Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) & Focal Point, AESA). Experience Sharing: Case studies highlighted innovative solutions across regions: ✅ China (Chinese Academy of Sciences): IT services empowering smallholders with timely agricultural information. ✅ India (Rengalakshmi Raj, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation): Inclusive digital tools promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption. ✅ Sri Lanka (Udul Leelendra & Sara Burrone, FAO): Harnessing digital innovation to ensure food security and resilience. The interactive panel discussion moderated by Nimisha Mittal (CRISP) sparked dialogue on challenges, opportunities, and pathways for leveraging digital innovation to enable inclusive and effective EAS models. Key Takeaways: 🔹 Collaboration and partnerships are critical to scaling digital solutions. 🔹 Farmer-centric approaches ensure inclusivity and accessibility. 🔹 Digital tools can empower smallholders and promote climate-resilient practices. 🙏 Special thanks to Yang Puyun (FAO-OIN) for summarizing key insights and Selvaraju Ramasamy (FAO-OIN) for concluding remarks that reinforced the importance of digital transformation in agricultural advisory services. This event showcased concrete solutions, shared experiences, and forward-looking strategies for harnessing digital innovations to improve EAS and strengthen food systems. 🌱 Let’s continue to work together to shape the future of agriculture and empower farmers worldwide! #DigitalInnovation #Agriculture #ExtensionServices #EAS #SustainableDevelopment #FoodSecurity #Collaboration #FAO Kudos to the team for successfully organizing this webinar: Samson Eshetu, Li He, Cristiano Consolini, and Zofia Krystyna Mroczek 

#ResearchPaperUpdate New Research Alert: Balancing Innovation Pathways for Agricultural Sustainability in Odisha, India Our latest research explores two distinct innovation pathways for addressing agricultural sustainability challenges in Odisha: 1️⃣ The Industrial Pathway: Focused on breeding new seed varieties in modern labs and test fields, driven by public institutions and private corporations, emphasizing climate resilience. 2️⃣ The Agroecological Pathway: Rooted in saving and sharing diverse local seed varieties, led by Indigenous (Adivasi) smallholders and supported by civil society allies. 🔍 Key Insights: While the agroecological pathway excels in preserving agricultural biodiversity and supporting cultural uses of rice, perspectives on economic performance, seed accessibility, stress tolerance, and nutrition are more nuanced and diverge among stakeholders. An overall consensus in favor of one pathway did not emerge, reflecting the inherent ambiguities and uncertainties in appraising sustainability approaches. 🌿 The Way Forward: Our study highlights the need for balanced political support between diverse pathways. Specifically, we argue for: ✅ Greater support for structurally marginalized agroecological pathways. ✅ Restitution of lands and socio-ecological resources to Indigenous communities. ✅ Guaranteeing autonomy for Adivasi smallholders to sustain these pathways. By embracing diverse pathways and supporting marginalized systems, we can work toward achieving meaningful and inclusive agricultural sustainability goals. 🌾 🔗 Dive deeper into our findings here: https://lnkd.in/gewF8x_q Join the conversation with the authors: Saurabh Arora, Bhuvana Narayanarao, Nimisha Mittal & Rasheed Sulaiman Vadekkal University of Sussex Government of Odisha #AgriculturalSustainability #Agroecology #ClimateResilience #IndigenousKnowledge #Innovation #SustainabilityResearch #FoodSystems #Smallholders #Odisha #India

Participation Update📢 Strengthening Agricultural Advisory Systems in Mongolia 🌾 On 27 November 2024, the German-Mongolian Cooperation Project on Sustainable Agriculture (DMKNL), Phase 4, hosted a one-day conference titled “Solutions and Best Practices for Improving Crop Sector Development in Mongolia” as part of its project conclusion. This event brought together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for enhancing crop and vegetable farming, focusing on strengthening professional associations and farmer support services. Dr. Rasheed Sulaiman V, Director of Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) and Focal Point of Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services Network (APIRAS), shared insights on: ✅ Expanding the scope of extension services beyond technology dissemination ✅ Building capacities at various levels ✅ Opportunities for global collaboration via Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) Dr. Rasheed also advocated for establishing the Mongolian Country Forum under CAC-FRAS and APIRAS to bolster rural advisory services. On 28 November, productive discussions continued with the Mongolian Farmers’ Association for Rural Development (MFARD), the FAO Mongolia office, and the MoFALI/RDC team implementing the AFACI-RATES project. Special thanks to Dr. Erdenebolor Baast, Dr. Yesun-Erdene, Dr. Turmandakh, and Ms. Nandintsetseg Sookhuu for their incredible support in driving this initiative forward. Let’s continue building strong partnerships to empower farmers and advance sustainable agriculture! 🌍🤝 #SustainableAgriculture #ExtensionServices #InternationalCollaboration #APIRAS #Mongolia

Post-Webinar Update! 🌱 Yesterday, our lead researcher, Nimisha Mittal, happily represented Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services at the Webinar on Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems! This insightful session was part of the FAO eLearning Academy's webinar series, featuring invaluable contributions from global experts in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS). Nimisha highlighted: 🌾 GFRAS and Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA)’s efforts in addressing capacity gaps for extension and advisory services functionaries. 🌟 AESA’s contribution in popularizing the FAO eLearning Academy course through a detailed course review (https://lnkd.in/gR34mncj). She was in exceptional company, sharing the stage with: Selvaraju Ramasamy (FAO) Manuela Bucciarelli (FAO) Abdulrazak Ibrahim (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa - FARA) Karen Montiel (Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA)) Mehmood Riaz (Agricultural Mechanization Research Institute) Sylvain Roger Perret (Agrinatura) Syndhia Mathe (CIRAD) Adam Kabango (FAO TAP AIS Malawi) A big thanks to the brilliant Cristina Petracchi, Head of the FAO eLearning Academy, for moderating the session seamlessly. 💡 Discover the wealth of resources the FAO eLearning Academy offers: elearning.fao.org Let’s continue bridging the capacity gap in agricultural innovation systems, fostering a brighter future for agriculture worldwide! 🌾 #AgInnovation #CapacityBuilding #AIS #Agriculture

Join Us for a Webinar on #CapacityDevelopment for Agricultural Innovation Systems! 🌱 📅 Date: Tuesday, 19 November 2024 ⏰ Time: 14:00 - 15:00 (Rome time) 💻 Where: Online via Zoom 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dDZJiSr3 Discover how the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP), a G20 initiative, is transforming agricultural innovation in the tropics by addressing capacity gaps and fostering sustainable solutions. This interactive session is part of the FAO eLearning Academy's webinar series, offering insights from leading experts in agricultural innovation systems (AIS). Objectives of the session 🔸 Understand key concepts of Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS); 🔸 Define the concepts and application of the TAP Common Framework on Capacity Development for AIS, and how TAP addresses capacity gaps in the tropics; and 🔸 Illustrate methods and tools to conduct capacity needs assessments, strengthen organizational capacities and the enabling environment for innovation, and perform monitoring, evaluation, and learning. 🎙️ Featured Speakers: Selvaraju Ramasamy (FAO) Manuela Bucciarelli (FAO) Rasheed Sulaiman V (Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP)) Abdulrazak Ibrahim (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa - FARA) Karen Montiel (Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA)-CATIE Oficial) Mehmood Riaz (Agricultural Mechanization Research Institute) Sylvain Roger Perret (Agrinatura) Syndhia Mathé (CIRAD) Adam Kabango (FAO TAP AIS Malawi) 📌 Moderator: Cristina Petracchi, Head of the FAO eLearning Academy 👉 Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of AIS and connect with professionals from across the globe. 🆓 Free participation 💡 Learn more about the FAO eLearning Academy and its resources: elearning.fao.org Let’s bridge the capacity gap in agricultural innovation together! 🌾 #AgInnovation Vincent Martin Nevena Alexandrova Delgermaa Chuluunbaatar Aurélie Toillier Samson Eshetu Aiden Holley Giulia Palestini Cristiano Consolini Ilka Gomez Max Olupot Cortney Price Henry van Burgsteden Fabrizio Bresciani Anne-Sophie Poisot

A program of the "MANAGE-University Alliance for Advancing Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services" in collaboration with the Central Agricultural University (CAU), Meghalaya. Speaker: Dr. Rasheed Sulaiman V, Director, Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) Topic: "New Capacities for Agricultural Extension" Dr. Rasheed Sulaiman, Director, CRISP highlighted the evolving landscape of agricultural extension, outlining essential capacities for professionals and showcasing opportunities for young professionals to develop expertise and thereby providing a comprehensive roadmap for the next generation of agricultural extension leaders. Saravanan Raj, Rasheed Sulaiman V, Mahesh B. Tengli, Rahalya S, MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management) Hyderabad AESA Suggests Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) Saravanan Raj, Dr Krithika Sundaram, Mahesh B. Tengli, Rahalya S MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management) Hyderabad, Central Agricultural University, Ayanavo Dey PALLAVI SHAKTAWAT, Kousik Mallick sourabhjyoti nath, Ayan Hazarika, Srikar Katiki, Abhijit Roy Kamalika Swargiary Sagnik Baul Pappu Kumar Yadav Bikram Barman Nushrat Jahan Grison paul Annastaycya sangma Martina Meinam Themshang Khapudang Bomyir Perme Maibam Suraj Singh Debojani Bora Yash Dwivedi Saurabh Suman Th Onchoila Maring Shubham Gaurav Niranda Sharma Leihaothabam Wangshitula Longchar Neingaithem Haokip

AGRI-POLICY: Aligned with India’s goal of self-reliance in pulses by 2027, ICRISAT, in collaboration with the Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP), hosted a Policy Dialogue on the “Future of Pulses and Legumes Seed Systems in India” to develop actionable solutions for building resilient seed systems. Click to read: https://lnkd.in/gYwEim4T #pulses #legumes #agritech #agri #seeds #seedsystem #biovoicenews

Partnership Update 🌱 We're excited to share that today, in collaboration with ICRISAT, we successfully organized a one-day policy dialogue on the "Future of Pulses and Legumes Seed Systems in India." This dialogue brought together leading voices from across sectors: senior bureaucrats, private seed companies, NGOs, Seed Corporation officials, and researchers. Together, we explored pathways for driving transformation in India's pulses sector. The insights gained are invaluable, and we look forward to integrating them into an upcoming policy brief. A big thank you to all participants for making this session a remarkable learning experience! 🌍🤝 #Agriculture #PolicyDialogue #SustainableFarming #Pulses #ICRISAT #SeedSystems Rasheed Sulaiman V Manzoor Hussain Dar Nimisha Mittal D. Alagu Niranjan Arsha Ashly

Only 1 day to go! Don't miss this crucial discussion on the future of pulses and legumes seed systems in India. Join leading experts at the Policy Dialogue on the Future of Pulses and Legumes Seed Systems organized by ICRISAT in Hyderabad on 8th Nov 2024. Register here, to join the discussions online - https://lu.ma/hz9qwri0 Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University ISTA - International Seed Testing Association Keshavulu kunusoth Shubha Thakur Manzoor Hussain Dar Amrita Pal

Joining our expert speaker panel tomorrow on the Future of Pulses and Legume Seed Systems in India are Dr Maninder Kaur-Dwivedi from National Seeds Corporation Ltd, Mr Shubhendu Dash from ACCESS Development Services, and Dr Sean Mayes, Director of the Global Research Program-ACI at #ICRISAT. Register here to join the discussions online: https://lu.ma/hz9qwri0 CGIAR Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India & Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India