Friday, 10 July 2009

Agribusiness and Innovation Systems in Africa

Agribusiness and Innovation Systems in Africa. This book (Published May 2009) examines how agricultural innovation arises in four African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda – through the lens of agribusiness, public policies, and specific value chains for food staples, high value products, and livestock.

Determinants of innovation are not viewed individually but within the context of a complex agricultural innovation system involving many actors and interactions. The volume is based on qualitative interviews with agribusiness representatives that were designed to shed light on their experiences on public policies that either enhances or impedes innovation in Africa’s agriculture sector.

This book will be of interest to policymakers, agribusiness leaders, farmer organizations, NGOs, and researchers.

The Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) framework is being seen increasingly as a very useful way of analyzing and understanding the extraordinarily complex group of actors and interactions needed for agricultural innovation and growth. The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and its constituent subregional organizations in Africa promote this framework through the application of the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D).Where the book adds value is by addressing the evolution of agricultural innovation in four African countries within the context of AIS, with a focus on the roles of agribusinesses and public policies. I strongly recommend this book to policy makers, agribusiness leaders, farmer organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers in research institutes and universities who are interested in agricultural innovation in Africa." - Dr. Monty Jones, Executive Secretary,Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)

Reference: World Bank Publications