Approaches for Setting-up Multi-Stakeholder Platforms for Agricultural Research and Development

In order to facilitate improved returns to research and development in African agriculture, the innovation systems approach which engenders the involvement of multiple stakeholders in its innovation pathway, has been proposed. Despite the potential of this approach, the understanding of its implementation and particularly of the process of setting up its multi-stakeholder platform is still largely lacking. Yet, this platform is critical to the success and sustainability of the operations of the platform. This article introduces the concept of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) and the constituent Innovation Platform (IP) as a workable multistakeholders approach for sustainable agricultural research and development. The IAR4D approach entails a multi-sectoral orientation to agricultural problem diagnosis and draws on integrated approaches using ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ sciences to provide solutions, while maximizing available resources. IAR4D is premised on the innovation systems approach and requires systemic interaction among all stakeholders around specific commodities or production systems. The procedure for the establishment of an IP requires a value chain analysis of the commodity of interest, followed by a systematic engagement of the identified stakeholders to the platform. The stakeholders in a balanced IP will cut across the private and the public sectors with distinct engagement of the non-traditional stakeholders as input dealers, financial institutions, policy makers, etc. The activity of a typical IP could be kick-started by joint development of a business plan and its proactive implementation in a partnership mood. A functional IP will normally experience series of iterative learning at the interphase of which innovation is generated. The set-up of multistakeholders platform in IAR4D mode has potentials to function effectively as a model for regional and national ARD planning.