This was how a RAAIS (Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems) workshop participant in Nigeria described his experience. It reflects the objective that we had in mind when developing RAAIS. We wanted to develop a simple, participatory, diagnostic tool for integrated systems analysis of agricultural problems. RAAIS facilitates the analysis of: Interactions between different dimensions, levels and stakeholder dynamics of complex agricultural problems; Innovation capacity in agrifood systems; The existence and performance of the agricultural innovation system. RAAIS can … [Read more...]
Creating Socially Inclusive Agricultural R4D in Central Mekong
The six countries that compose Humidtropics' Central Mekong Action Area are characterized by considerable ethnic diversity. They include southwestern China, northern Thailand, Laos, northeast Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Ethnic minorities in Central Mekong have been marginalized socially, culturally, economically, politically, and geographically, although the extent of such marginalization varies among the six countries. Such realities are also reflected in agricultural development: in northwest Vietnam, ethnic minority farmers predominantly occupy agricultural production, and play a … [Read more...]
First World Congress on Root & Tuber Crops: Registration Now Open
The First World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops will be held January 18-22, 2016, in China The Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP21) and the International Society for Tropical Root Crops (ISTRC) join forces with CATAS (Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences), and GCRI (Guangxi Cassava Research Institute), to organize the First World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops in Nanning, Guangxi, China, on January 18-22, 2016. The Congress represents a unique opportunity for exchanging expert and scientific advice on Root and Tuber Crops (RTCs) – in particular for … [Read more...]