The sustainability and success of innovation platforms

Abstract

Innovation platforms are fast becoming part of the mantra of agricultural research for development (AR4D) projects and programs. They have become an increasingly popular approach to enhancing multi-stakeholder collaboration in AR4D. Their basic tenet is that stakeholders in the agricultural sector (farmers, government, private sector) depend on one another to solve their problems, and hence need a space where they can learn, negotiate, and coordinate to overcome challenges and capture opportunities through a facilitated innovation process. It is however very important to look at innovation platforms critically in defining their features, key functions, and what they can and, as importantly, cannot do.