Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions
The world’s population is projected to increase from over 8 billion in 2024 to 9.9 billion by 2050 (UN, 2020), calling for innovative strategies to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable and equitable manner. This hinges on getting transformative innovations into the hands of smallholde...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | Inglés |
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CGIAR System Organization
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180428 |
| _version_ | 1855535347819085824 |
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| author | Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh Bailey, Arwen Ewell, Hanna Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah Liani, Millicent L. Nortje, Karen Mulinganya, Noel Sylla, Almamy Munoz, Gutierrez Odette Mukhopadhyay, Prama |
| author_browse | Bailey, Arwen Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah Ewell, Hanna Liani, Millicent L. Mukhopadhyay, Prama Mulinganya, Noel Munoz, Gutierrez Odette Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh Nortje, Karen Sylla, Almamy |
| author_facet | Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh Bailey, Arwen Ewell, Hanna Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah Liani, Millicent L. Nortje, Karen Mulinganya, Noel Sylla, Almamy Munoz, Gutierrez Odette Mukhopadhyay, Prama |
| author_sort | Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The world’s population is projected to increase from over 8 billion in 2024 to 9.9 billion by 2050 (UN, 2020), calling for innovative strategies to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable and equitable manner.
This hinges on getting transformative innovations into the hands of smallholder farmers and other agricultural value chain actors. However, these intended end-users1, are frequently consulted only at the final stages of innovation development, when it is difficult for them to participate in co-designing the innovations or proposing better ones suitable to their needs and preferences (McGuire et al. 2024). Researchers often give little thought to scaling an innovation until it has already been designed or, in most cases, piloted. Yet this often means that we are reaching our numerical target of delivering innovations, but missing the point completely, by failing to drive societal change relevant to the end users. This is particularly true if we consider underserved groups within communities who are not invited to influence design but often remain on the margins of innovation development and benefits. This not only undermines the potential impact of the innovation but also risks reinforcing existing inequities—with innovations disproportionately benefiting the better connected and already-included, and potentially doing more harm than good by widening social and economic gaps.
This brief is a call to action. It urges a redefinition of innovation scaling—from a linear “last mile” push to a participatory “first mile” approach that is rooted in local knowledge, continuous feedback, and the lived experience of diverse users. Studies have shown that participatory research that involves farmers from the outset enhances adoption rates and perceived relevance of technologies (Witcombe et al. 2011; Pawera et al. 2024). Researchers must be willing to set aside preconceived notions of what communities need and instead co-create solutions with them. Only by doing so can CGIAR innovations achieve meaningful uptake and equitable impact across all social groups. |
| format | Brief |
| id | CGSpace180428 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | CGIAR System Organization |
| publisherStr | CGIAR System Organization |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1804282026-01-23T02:13:06Z Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh Bailey, Arwen Ewell, Hanna Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah Liani, Millicent L. Nortje, Karen Mulinganya, Noel Sylla, Almamy Munoz, Gutierrez Odette Mukhopadhyay, Prama food systems innovation The world’s population is projected to increase from over 8 billion in 2024 to 9.9 billion by 2050 (UN, 2020), calling for innovative strategies to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable and equitable manner. This hinges on getting transformative innovations into the hands of smallholder farmers and other agricultural value chain actors. However, these intended end-users1, are frequently consulted only at the final stages of innovation development, when it is difficult for them to participate in co-designing the innovations or proposing better ones suitable to their needs and preferences (McGuire et al. 2024). Researchers often give little thought to scaling an innovation until it has already been designed or, in most cases, piloted. Yet this often means that we are reaching our numerical target of delivering innovations, but missing the point completely, by failing to drive societal change relevant to the end users. This is particularly true if we consider underserved groups within communities who are not invited to influence design but often remain on the margins of innovation development and benefits. This not only undermines the potential impact of the innovation but also risks reinforcing existing inequities—with innovations disproportionately benefiting the better connected and already-included, and potentially doing more harm than good by widening social and economic gaps. This brief is a call to action. It urges a redefinition of innovation scaling—from a linear “last mile” push to a participatory “first mile” approach that is rooted in local knowledge, continuous feedback, and the lived experience of diverse users. Studies have shown that participatory research that involves farmers from the outset enhances adoption rates and perceived relevance of technologies (Witcombe et al. 2011; Pawera et al. 2024). Researchers must be willing to set aside preconceived notions of what communities need and instead co-create solutions with them. Only by doing so can CGIAR innovations achieve meaningful uptake and equitable impact across all social groups. 2025 2026-01-22T16:37:44Z 2026-01-22T16:37:44Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180428 en Open Access application/pdf CGIAR System Organization Bogweh Nchanji, E., Bailey, A., Ewell, H., Enokenwa, O.B., Liani, M.L., Nortje, K., Mulinganya, N., Sylla, A., Gutiérrez Muñoz, O. and Mukhopadhyay, P. 2025. Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions. Agenda Setting Brief - 7. Nairobi, Kenya: CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion, CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods Science Program |
| spellingShingle | food systems innovation Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh Bailey, Arwen Ewell, Hanna Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah Liani, Millicent L. Nortje, Karen Mulinganya, Noel Sylla, Almamy Munoz, Gutierrez Odette Mukhopadhyay, Prama Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions |
| title | Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions |
| title_full | Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions |
| title_fullStr | Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions |
| title_short | Empowering regions and countries to scale demand-driven, evidence-based agri-food system solutions |
| title_sort | empowering regions and countries to scale demand driven evidence based agri food system solutions |
| topic | food systems innovation |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180428 |
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