In-depth theme 2: Agricultural innovation and rural advisory services
Steady access to agriculture related information and knowledge, both traditional and research-based, allows small farmers to develop their farms and livelihoods in a sustainable way within their specific environment, to build up resilience, as well as to develop their own entrepreneurial, organisational and technical skills. Due to the rapid social change and the dismantling of the state-run research institutions and extension services in many countries, large segments of the rural population are left without sufficient access to relevant knowledge. This hampers seriously their capacity to innovate and to keep up with their changing environments.
Since the 2008 food crisis and the renewed interest in agriculture, both the international ODA system and the stakeholders at country level are beginning to rediscover the crucial role of agricultural knowledge dissemination among small farmers for enhancing productivity, resilience and food security. Therefore, we are concentrating on rural advisory services and will examine some best practices in agricultural knowledge transfer, in both formal and informal systems, with the following objectives:
- to help the network members to acquire a good understanding of significant agricultural innovation processes and rural advisory systems and to extract lessons for their own work;
- to establish links with innovation and advisory networks for better access to relevant information and specialised expertise for ARD-network members’ and their partners' specific needs;
- to be able to advise SDC’s organisational units and SDC’s partners in rural advisory issues, and to contribute to appropriate policies in selected countries, regions, and at the international level;
- to enhance information and knowledge exchange on agricultural innovation processes and rural advisory services between SDC’s head office (geographic divisions, Global Program for Food Security, etc.) and the field offices.
With participants from different countries, organisations and projects two lively e-discussion rounds have been undertaken in April and May 2010. Find here the synthesis papers in an English, French and Spanish version:
synthesis paper RAS April 2010 (English version) 
version française versión en español
synthesis paper RAS May 2010 (English version) version française versión en español
For further information on the e-discussion please contact the facilitators:
Rupa Mukerji rmukerji@intercooperation.org.in and Martin Fischler martin.fischler@intercooperation.ch
Key documents:
Learning group objectives and action plan
Selected links:
- Knowledge and innovation (internal link)
