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From research outputs to development outcomes:

Fostering innovation in pastoralist systems

Ranjitha Puskur and Alan Duncan International Livestock Research Institute

September 2009

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Innovation“a process where knowledge is created and

used in new ways, in different contexts, to enhance the livelihoods of livestock-dependant poor”

occurs in a system mediated by the actors and their interactions, facilitated (or constrained) by institutions and policies

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Innovation capacityAs opposed to just productive capacityAbility to respond to emerging

challenges and opportunities through harnessing available knowledge– Stimulating actor network formation

Does require a longer timeframe..

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A comprehensive framework for livestock development

Feeds Breeds Services

– Health– Extension

Technical Institutional Organizational Policy

Equitable

HIV/AIDS sensitive

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Some glimpses of ILRI’s work Fodder Innovation Project in India & Nigeria

– evolution from technology transfer to experimenting with innovation capacity building, for proactive rather than reactive innovation

– 5 sites in 2 countries –different livestock systems context – livestock dependent communities - fodder scarcity a common problem

– working with a range of implementing partners– In each site, action based on context-specific themes

ranging from fodder focus to commercialization of smallholder goat farming

– this led to very context and theme-specific network building process, with different entry points (ranging from forest seeding with fodder species to animal vaccination camps) and different trajectories are beginning to evolve

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FIP.. service delivery systems changing changing institutional arrangements and policy bottlenecks evidence of demand being generated for fodder- breed and

other livestock-related knowledge and technologies (interestingly, technologies which were disseminated earlier but with no uptake) – good examples of research being put into use emerging

institutional arrangements being designed to take care of equity issues

institutionalizing/mainstreaming approach in their other activities/across organization

innovation brokerage roles emerging unusual partnerships

Fodder is too narrow a theme for building networks. Building networks around livestock value chains and building

innovation capacity at that level seems more appropriate.

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IPMS and its background.. Government adopted an Agricultural

Development Led Industrialization (ADLI) Strategy – focus on food crops and NRM

Added market orientation to this..

Realised that this needs improvement in productivity and market success of farmers

Plenty of technologies on shelf which have the potential to contribute to productivity enhancement

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Improving Productivity and Market Success

A Research for Development project

Co-innovate new methods and approaches for market oriented interventions with partners

Develop options in support of GoE’s strategy for agricultural transformation

Gender and HIV/AIDS – cross-cutting themes

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Project approachTakes an Innovation Systems Perspective Technologies alone not enough to bring about

innovationMultiple sources of innovationPartnerships are vital for innovation Service delivery systems and capacity to innovate are

critical in defining the innovation processRoles and interactions of diverse agents => Knowledge

exchange, technological and institutional changePiloting options in an action learning mode

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Major elements of the approach

Knowledge-based system with linkages between various actors, which is capacitated and responsive to markets

CapacityBuilding

Technical, institutional and

organizational options

CommodityDevelopment

Knowledgemanagement

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Community-based Tryps control in Ghibe valley

A network of actors working together to address problems and innovate through joint solutions

Enhanced community managed control of cattle Trypanosomosis

Enhanced local capacity to collaboratively respond to key livestock related challenges and opportunities in the area

Improved cattle health and productivity Testing ABCD and IS approaches

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Smallholder dairy systems – East Africa and South Asia

Key challenges:– Policies and regulations to support the role

of the poor in dairy production and marketing systems

– Increase market success of the poor– Increase production efficiency and

sustainability in households and systems

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Smallholder dairy systems – East Africa and South Asia

Business/market development– Link poor livestock producers and feed suppliers to

more sophisticated input/output systems for:• Market development/promotion• Knowledge and innovation• Input supply• Disease control/quality assurance

– “Hub” model used in project in E.Africa (Heifer, Technoserve, ILRI, ICRAF)

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Smallholder dairy systems – East Africa and South Asia

Production efficiency– Feeds

• Better utilization of dual purpose crops and by-products

• High yielding grasses• Formulation and supplementation

– Breeds• Increasing supply of improved animals• Role for private entrepreneurs

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Supportive policies and regulations

Business/market Development

Production efficiency

Beyond technology/ knowledge generation

Partnerships

Capacity to access, adapt, use and apply

knowledge

Process issues

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ILRI’s potential role.. Technical backstopping and knowledge support Identify potential technical, institutional (including

knowledge management) and organisational options for testing, based on data available/to be generated

Designing and backstop implementation of an M&E system

Understanding the innovation processes Synthesis of lessons to inform policy and strategies for

scaling up/out Capacity Building support for Extension (??)

– Gender and HIV/AIDS issues integration– Participatory market-oriented extension– FTCs

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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