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Digital technologies promise to transform agri-food systems such that they contribute to a more inclusive, economically, and/or environmentally sustainable future. However, without careful attention to the approaches for their introduction, development, and rollout, they are likely to fail to address key aspects of inclusion. Contemporary inclusive innovation mechanisms focus on the involvement of farmers in the innovation processes, but do not elucidate how to operationalize a deeper inclusivity that takes account of the nature of engagement with the farmers and dynamics of the relationships required for successful outcomes. This article analyzes the concept of inclusivity and its operationalization using the case of the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KALRO). We develop lines of inquiry on how inclusivity can be defined, sought and operationalized in digital agri-food systems. Based on a case study approach, we interviewed 36 stakeholders in the KALRO digital transformation initiative reflecting on literature discussions from secondary data. Primary and secondary data were synthesized to develop lines of inquiry that enabled a deeper exploration of inclusivity. KALRO's rollout and scale-up of digital agriculture technologies for farmers hinges on three evaluative criteria – usability, accessibility, and relevance – which are associated with aspirations for inclusive innovation. Despite these efforts, some technologies they developed included some farmers and excluded others. For the included, inclusion was limited to the accessibility of certain types of information while desired forms of information lacked sufficient mechanisms for access or were not made available. The practice of promoting access, usability and relevance of the technologies while has supported innovation for and with the farmers, there are still challenges in innovating with the farmer. The lines of inquiry "inclusive innovation with" and "inclusive innovation for" introduced in this paper not only help stakeholders gain a deeper, more nuanced and holistic understanding of inclusive innovation, they also reveal the complexity of inclusivity and its operationalization in agri-food systems that are digitalizing. This paper analyzes inclusivity from a practice perspective highlighting areas where the theoretical perspective and empirical observations diverge. The paper makes the case for meaningful changes in how inclusivity is approached, considering the practical needs and preferences of those directly impacted by innovation and the potential of operationalizing 'inclusive innovation with ' as a deeper and more effective approach to inclusive innovation. [Display omitted] • Operationalizing deeper inclusivity in digital technologies can transform agri-food systems. • Using a case study, we develop lines of inquiry for understanding how inclusivity can be understood and sought. • The study reveals the complexity of inclusivity and its operationalization. • Pursuing an approach that focusses on 'innovation for' the farmer has limitations in enhancing inclusivity. • The study identifies benefits of distinguishing and pursuing 'inclusive innovation with' beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how the theory of affordances can be used to investigate how a spectrum of opportunities, benefits, costs and risks is generated and unevenly distributed by different kinds of technology (where 'technology' is understood as techniques, processes and practices of doing and making, rather than technical artefacts and systems). Affordances are possibilities for action, which arise from relations between humans and entities that surround them. This paper discusses three kinds of affordances: material, cultural and socio-economic. The theory of affordances offers a coherent way to explain why different technologies have different implications, and why those implications vary for different stakeholders. Applied to the domain of development-oriented agricultural research and innovation, the theory of affordances could be used by researchers and practitioners to examine the differentiated implications of different kinds of farming technology and alternative programmes of technological change in agriculture, both ex ante (e.g. in their design, development and implementation) and ex post (e.g. in their evaluation). To illustrate the argument, the paper uses the example of weeding in the System of Rice Intensification. Since affordances in theory are generated relationally and situationally for each person, the full array of implications arising from the introduction of new technology could be wide and diverse. A practical challenge, therefore, is whether and how the theory of affordances can be used practically and operationally to design, implement and evaluate the appropriateness, accessibility, utility and value of agricultural technology and technological change for specific people and groups of interest. • The theory of affordances is applied to agricultural technology and innovation. • Affordances are perceived action possibilities, which arise relationally. • Affordances can be studied through material, cultural and socio-economic lenses. • The theory of affordances could be applied to development interventions ex ante and ex post. • Weeding in the System of Rice Intensification is used to illustrate the argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global food systems are confronted with multifaceted challenges, including climate change, malnutrition, and biodiversity loss, disproportionately affecting the livelihoods of millions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Recognizing its potential to address these challenges, innovation is increasingly central in public sector organizations. However, despite growing emphasis, the adoption of innovation portfolio management approaches remains limited. Drawing on a case study of CGIAR, a global research partnership dedicated to agricultural challenges, this paper seeks to accomplish two objectives. The primary objective is to produce a set of best practices in innovation portfolio management that can benefit public sector organizations. The secondary objective is to demonstrate how this offers an important precursor to guide organizational decision-making and investment towards responsible food system transformation. An in-depth analysis of CGIAR's approach to innovation portfolio management is based on qualitative and quantitative data from sources such as interviews, observations, documents, and archival records. The study adopts a descriptive case study approach, utilizing an analytical framework that recognizes the importance of methods, mindsets, and mechanisms in describing and analyzing the CGIAR case. Key lessons encompass the need for a holistic perspective on innovation portfolio management. The paper advocates for the integration of an innovation portfolio management approach within broader (1) organizational processes, including human resources, finance, legal frameworks, and risk management; and (2) innovation systems where food system transformation is the outcome of interactions and partnerships between government, public and private sector organizations. This study furnishes actionable guidance to public organizations seeking to harness innovation portfolio management for responsible and impactful food system transformation. [Display omitted] • Innovation portfolio management is underutilized in the public research and development sector. • CGIAR is mainstreaming an innovation portfolio management approach based on Scaling Readiness principles. • The objective is to enhance CGIAR's effectiveness and performance in achieving its 2030 research and innovation strategy. • Innovation portfolio management necessitates a holistic approach with investment in methods, mindsets, and mechanisms. • Integrating this approach into decision-making and program cycles serves as a significant incentive for its adoption and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking Yantai Cherry as an example, this paper studies the influencing factors of customer satisfaction in online shopping of characteristic agricultural products, and analyzes five influencing factors: pre-purchase expectation, product quality, brand image, e-commerce platform and logistics distribution, and designs a scale, puts forward assumptions and verifies them. The results show that pre-purchase expectation has no significant negative influence on customer satisfaction, product quality, brand image, e-commerce platform and logistics distribution have significant positive effects on customer satisfaction. Finally, based on the research conclusions, this paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions on improving customer satisfaction of characteristic agricultural products e-commerce from four aspects, which is of certain significance for increasing sales of specialty agricultural products and promoting the development of agricultural e-commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments around the world are seeking to achieve socially just transitions to environmentally sustainable modes of agricultural production. Policy makers have increasingly sought to engage an array of societal actors in the collaborative design and implementation of associated policies, which we refer to as Agri-Environmental Policy (AEP) initiatives. Yet, the existing literature includes little context specific exploration of the motivations of those who engage with such initiatives. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the motivations of a small group of actors who established and coordinated a collaborative group to apply to one AEP initiative in Ireland – the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). This group included three farmers, an agri-environmental policy advocate, and a research scientist. Drawing on assemblage literature, we illustrate how each of these actors' motivations emerged 1) based on the specific relationships in which they operated and 2) based on their imagining of potential future scenarios, which they sought to actualise through EIP-AGRI. This paper thus provides a qualitative account of how motivations emerge as different actors creatively navigate complex sets of relationships. We illustrate the utility of an assemblage approach to explore such motivations in ways that account for specific contexts and the capacity of each actor to engage with possible futures. We conclude that the capacity of collaborative approaches to AEP to appeal to actors from different backgrounds relies heavily on such actors' ability to envisage and anticipate new possibilities. This line of exploration helps us to better understand the extent to which collaborative AEP may align the multiple goals associated with transitioning to environmentally sustainable and socially just food production systems. • Agri-Environmental Policy (AEP) initiatives increasingly promote collaboration. • More case-study research is needed on actor motivation to engage with AEP. • Motivations emerge as actors navigate relationships and envisage new possibilities. • Assemblage provides a useful framework for analysing this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of effective national agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) became a European policy imperative in the 2010s, lodged in a political ideology which emphasised the importance of innovation to economic growth. We argue that the recent deployment of the AKIS concept in EU policy presents important opportunities for the agricultural sector and associated academic research but has significant weaknesses in terms of the scale of analysis (over emphasis on national levels) and disconnection from academic thinking on innovation processes. In this paper we progress the AKIS approach by utilising assemblage theory. We argue that assemblage concepts – in line with other 'more-than-human' approaches - offer mechanisms for recognising and integrating the role of non-human actants in innovation processes. Inclusion of these actants highlight the co-constructed nature of farm knowledge and associated transition processes. Assemblage concepts of historicity and rupture demonstrate how the path dependencies of farming are embedded in the material conditions of production, and the learning processes which occur when path dependencies are interrupted. We illustrate these contentions with empirical case studies of the 'microAKIS' – self-assembled farmer knowledge networks and associated processes - characterising four innovations across Europe: the introduction of a new commodity (avocado) in Greece, mainstreaming of robotic milking in Norway, retro-innovation of direct marketing in Latvia, and outsourcing of (dehumanised) farm labour in France. • MicroAKIS are the processes and sources of knowledge brought together by farmers. • Assemblage theory integrates new kinds of actors and the knowledge they produce. • Assemblage theory emphasises the materialities of innovation processes. • Learning processes territorialise farm assemblages. • Contemporary AKIS policies focus too heavily on traditional AKIS actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation platforms (IPs) that support agricultural innovation to enable transition processes towards more sustainable agriculture provide a space where conflicts of interest among actors in the existing agricultural system (the so called incumbent regime) may play out. Sometimes these conflicts over how actors will benefit from an action are not revealed until actors are brought together. However, a barrier to change occurs when IP actors use their existing power to mobilise resources to influence if and how individual and collective interests are aligned. In the context of agricultural innovation and transitions, this paper uses the power in transitions framework (Avelino and Wittmayer, 2016), along with analytical perspectives on conflicts and role perceptions, to understand how consciously staging or revealing conflicts of interest among IP actors changed role perceptions and power relations among these actors. The paper explores this topic in two IPs addressing agricultural production and sustainability challenges in New Zealand's agricultural sector. Conflicts were staged in IPs when one group of actors mobilised resources that enabled them to move existing power relations from one-sided, to synergistic or a mutual dependency. This enabled conflicts to be acknowledged and solved. In contrast, conflicts were not staged when actors mobilised resources to maintain antagonostic power relations. Our cases demontrate that staging conflicts to change actors' role perceptions is an important intermediary step to forming new power relations in the agricultural system. Our findings highlight the need for IP theory to conceptualise power relations in IPs as context specific, dynamic and a force shaping outcomes, rather than solely a force exerted by actors in the incumbent regime over IP actors. • We unpack complexity of power relations in two collaborative innovation projects in agriculture. • We construct a framework to understand power relations explicitly in agricultural transition. • Conflicts serve as a means to understand relations between actors and the wider institutional system. • Changes in actors' role perceptions require special attention to unpack power relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine the impact of improved cowpea adoption on poverty in Nigeria. • We use a unique and recent nationally representative survey data. • Adoption leads to an increase in household income and asset ownership. • Poverty reduces with the adoption of improved cowpea varieties. Adoption of improved agricultural technologies has long been recognized as critical for reducing poverty through increased productivity, incomes, and asset accumulation. Using a nationally representative survey data from a sample of over 1500 households in Nigeria, this paper evaluates the impacts of adoption of improved cowpea varieties on income and asset poverty reduction using an endogenous switching regression model. The results showed that adoption of improved cowpea varieties increased per capita household income and asset ownership by 17 and 24 percentage points, respectively. The results based on the observed and counterfactual income and asset distributions further showed that adoption reduced both income poverty and asset poverty by 5 percentage points. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy options for increasing adoption and impacts of improved cowpea varieties in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scaling up food security innovations in low-income rural environments has often failed to achieve substantive and lasting results. This poor performance can be attributed to dominant, linear approaches associated with spreading innovations which entail technology research and development and subsequent transfer to farmers. Such approaches tend to overlook complexity elements and non-linear processes in smallholder agriculture, including multiple stress factors such as climate variability and economic risks that make the uptake of new agricultural innovations more unpredictable. This article presents programmatic lessons from the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) on scaling up. It considers projects that: i) deployed successfully pilot-tested innovations to reach and benefit large numbers of beneficiaries; and projects that ii) used innovations as an entry point to catalyse systematic change in the food and agricultural sector. The paper also outlines several key scaling up principles that can encourage better understanding of relevant socio-ecological dynamics and complexities in intervention areas as a way to support innovations (at scale) that can contribute to more sustainable system outcomes. Finally, the paper reflects on how predominant definitions of impact at scale, centered around rather narrow indicators around economic growth and technology transfer, might consider more holistic goals that encompass integrated agricultural interventions that advance sustainable agri-food system outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled release technology of chemical fertilizers is an important cornerstone for the efficient development of sustainable agriculture. Damage to the coating layer and fragmentation of particles during the application of controlled release fertilizers can lead to the loss of their controlled release properties, making the development of effective damage reduction operations a key focus in the study of such agricultural materials. Therefore, this paper employs the bonded particle model (BPM) method within the discrete element method (DEM) framework to investigate the mechanism of coating damage in controlled-release fertilizers. It establishes a classification of damage types based on the level of damaged particles as an effective analytical approach. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is conducted between the discrete element particle model (DEPM) method and the bonded particle model method in terms of their performance in discharge mechanics and flow characteristics. The results indicate that the breakage rate of fertilizer discharge is influenced by both the formation of a steady state and the depletion of the fertilizer load within the container, with an average breakage rate of 1.511% over the total period. Differences in the average maximum compression force and mass flow rate between the discrete element particle model group and the bonded particle model group were 60.355 N and 1.998 g/s, respectively, reflecting limitations imposed by the fertilizer models on expected damage deformation behaviors. This study elucidates the process and potential impacts of fertilizer particle damage and deformation, revealing the strengths and limitations of two simulation model approaches under different application conditions, providing insights for sustainable agricultural production and technological innovation in fertilization equipment. [Display omitted] • Construct of model using the reciprocating piston mechanical stacking method. • Breakage rate is affected by stable state formation and fertilizer consumption. • Particle quantity gradation forms the criterion for categorizing types of damage. • Damage types reflect overall trends, predominantly partial and missing types. • The presentation of damage deformations is constrained by the fertilizer model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural innovations are inclusive when they are used by any member of society who wants to use them. Conversely, agricultural innovations that can only be used by a specific privileged group within society can be characterized as "exclusive". The first objective of this paper is to examine the inclusivity of agricultural innovations in Ethiopia, using national representative data and considering a wide portfolio of innovations resulting from the collaborative research between CGIAR and its national partners. Second, we also examine how measurement error may affect how we characterize the inclusivity of agricultural innovations. We use nationally-representative survey data from Ethiopia (collected in 2018/19) in which best-practice measures of the adoption of a large number of agricultural innovations were embedded, including the adoption of CGIAR-related improved maize varieties measured using two different approaches: subjective, self-reported survey data; and objective DNA fingerprinting of crop samples taken from the same farmers' plots. A rich set of household variables is also collected in the survey, which allows characterizing the types of farmers that are adopting different innovations, and the extent to which conclusions regarding the inclusivity of innovations depends on the measurement of the latter. Many innovations are not disproportionately more likely to be adopted by male, larger, richer, or more connected farmers. When using self-reported data on adoption of improved maize varieties, adoption appears positively correlated with having larger landholdings and households with lower female participation in agriculture, and negatively correlated with poorer households (being among the bottom 40% of consumption distribution). Substituting survey responses with the results of DNA fingerprinting these correlations disappear, with farm size, gender and poverty status no longer predictive of adoption. The results suggest the potential value of offering a menu of innovations to farmers to increase inclusivity, as it allows each farmer to be a critical consumer of potential innovations and select those that best correspond to their own needs and constraints. We also highlight how important data quality is in ensuring we have correct information about inclusive innovation. [Display omitted] • Nationally representative data on adoption of agricultural innovations for Ethiopia. • Examines importance of representative samples and valid measurement in shaping understanding of inclusive innovation. • Patterns of inclusiveness are innovation-specific and can be subject to measurement error. • Objective measures (e.g. DNA fingerprinting for crop variety adoption) can provided unbiased picture of inclusive innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite accelerated developments in agricultural innovations, there has been a limited progress in their adoption by smallholder farmers, especially in the Global South. Innovations are not adequately reaching farmers, and new technologies are often unsuitable for farmers, or the overall innovation landscape is discouraging the deployment of innovations at scale. The methodological approaches to designing, testing and scaling of innovations play an important role. Involving farmers in the innovation process from the start increases the likelihood of them being more relevant and having a higher chance of adoption. Whereas there is much literature on participatory approaches, there is a limited guidance on choosing an appropriate level of farmer participation across the innovation process. This study aims to develop practical guidance for researchers, development agents and project managers on how to choose an appropriate methodological approach with a suitable level of farmer participation for designing, testing and scaling of agricultural innovations, according to levels of innovation readiness and innovation use. Relevant scientific literature on participatory design, research and scaling of agricultural innovations was reviewed, followed by compiling lessons learned from selected vegetable innovation projects implemented by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) in Asia and Africa. A list of methodological approaches for participatory design, testing and scaling of innovations was generated, with various levels of farmer participation. A simple guiding framework was then developed for choosing an appropriate approach with a suitable level of farmer participation, according to the readiness and use of the innovations. Examples of selected approaches and application of the proposed guidance are given in project case studies. Based on the literature review and experience at WorldVeg, we believe it is critical to choose the right level of participation based on how ready are the innovations for application in the local setting. This dimension of how ready the innovations are has been largely overlooked in earlier frameworks on farmer participation. The developed guidance generally recommends increasing participation with higher levels of technology readiness and use. In addition, farmer consultation in early research design should also be strengthened, to co-design locally relevant innovations. The overall innovation systems' landscape must be considered when researching and scaling new innovations. The guidance, experiences and lessons provided in this paper will be useful to various scholars, researchers, development agents, funders and project managers who aim to design, test and scale agricultural innovations in a more inclusive and responsible way. [Display omitted] • Despite rapid developments in agricultural innovations, there has been limited adoption by smallholder farmers. • There is limited guidance on choosing an appropriate level of farmer participation in the innovation processes. • A list of participatory approaches for design, testing and scaling of innovations was created. • A guidance for choosing a suitable level of participation based on 'innovation readiness and use' was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional change strategies that prioritize transparency, fairness, and respect will advance inclusive agri-food systems innovation. This short communication posits that institutional change strategies are a linchpin, necessary for International Agricultural Research Centers to implement models promoting inclusive agri-food systems innovation. Models promoting inclusive innovation are pivotal for generating and advancing research for development actions tailored to specific contexts. Context-specific approaches demonstrate superior adaptability compared to universal actions. They contribute to the effectiveness of agriculture research for development, particularly in times of increasing volatility and inadequate progress toward global sustainability and equity goals. Targeted institutional change strategies foster three sister strategies that bolster inclusive innovation: navigating trade-offs; enhancing partnerships; and diversifying measurement. The paper stems from consultations within the Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) and ISDC's related advising to CGIAR. Institutional change is the linchpin among four strategies identified by ISDC for driving inclusive agri-food systems innovation in Agriculture Research for Development. [Display omitted] • Context specific actions are needed to address gaps in progress toward global sustainability and equity goals. • Inclusive agri-food system innovation models generate and promote context-specific actions. • Strategies exist to advance inclusive agri-food system innovation models in agricultural research for development (AR4D). • Institutional change strategies are a cornerstone for inclusive and effective AR4D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This introduction to the special issue deploys a framework, inspired by realist synthesis and introduced in Section 1 , that aims to untangle the contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes associated with investments that link poverty reduction and rural prosperity within a broad agri-food systems perspective. Section 2 considers changes in contexts: Where are agricultural research investments most likely to be an engine of poverty reduction? Over the past 25 years, there have been profound changes in the development context of most countries, necessitating an update on strategic insights for research investment priorities relevant for the economic, political, social, environmental, and structural realities of the early 21st Century. Section 2 briefly surveys changes in these structural aspects of poverty and development processes in low-income countries, with particular attention to new drivers (e.g., urbanization, climate change) that will be of increasing salience in the coming decades. In Section 3 , we turn to mechanisms: What are the plausible impact pathways and what evidence exists to test their plausibility? Poor farmers in the developing world are often the stated focus of public sector agricultural research. However, farmers are not the only potential beneficiaries of agricultural research; rural landless laborers, stakeholders along food value chains, and the urban poor can also be major beneficiaries of such research. Thus, there are multiple, interacting pathways through which agricultural research can contribute to reductions in poverty and associated livelihood vulnerabilities. This paper introduces an ex ante set of 18 plausible impact pathways from agricultural research to rural prosperity outcomes, employing bibliometric methods to assess the evidence underpinning causal links. In Section 4 , we revisit the concept of desired impacts: When we seek poverty reduction, what does that mean and what measures are needed to demonstrate impact? The papers in this special issue are intended to yield insights to inform improvements in agricultural research that seeks to reduce poverty. History indicates that equity of distribution of gains matters hugely, and thus the questions of "who wins?" and "who loses?" must be addressed. Moreover, our understanding(s) of "poverty" and the intended outcomes of development investments have become much richer over the past 25 years, incorporating more nuance regarding gender, community differences, and fundamental reconsideration of the meaning of poverty and prosperity that are not captured by simple head count income or even living standard measures. Highlights • AR4D is a systems problem, requiring consideration of shifting contexts, interconnected mechanisms, and complex impacts. • Fundamental changes in context of poverty reduction affect likelihood of success in a given setting. • Given these contextual features, it is necessary to broaden from fields and farms to encompass the food system. • Food system perspectives reveal many plausible pathways, from conventional AR4D investments in breeding to food policy research. • Poverty impacts emerge at scales far different from AR4D interventions, which creates M&E and impact assessment challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Rural innovation is the best practice of farmers' adaptation. • Rural innovations include innovative farming and water management practices. • Informal learning networks enable farmers to learn and share knowledge. • Interactions with extension officials enable the translation of farmers' innovations into adaptation policy. Abstract Agriculture is exposed to climatic impacts, especially in developing countries. Adaptation is the predominant practice that farming communities undertake to deal with these climate-induced challenges. While significant attention has been devoted to farmers' adaptation strategies, little is known about how innovative practices are associated with the improvement of rural livelihoods. To address this gap, the paper attempts to investigate how farmers lead the process of rural innovations that constitute successful forms of adaptation to address the mixed impacts of dyke policies and climate change in two distinct agro-ecological zones (i.e. flooding and salinity) in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). Drawing on qualitative information collected from focus group discussions and interviews across the case studies, the paper argues that farmers are the key innovation actors who contribute to improving rural farming and water management practices. The study suggests that the evolution of farmer-led innovations is mainly attributed to the operation of various informal learning networks that provide important platforms for the generation and diffusion of effective innovative practices across farming communities. It also highlights how farmers contribute their innovative knowledge to local adaptation policies. From the policy perspective, this study sees the development of rural innovation systems as the best practices of farmers' adaptation, which needs to be scaled out to better support agricultural water management in the delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyses the use of the cultural convention of suzhi in attempts to improve biosecurity practices in the Chinese pig industry. Suzhi loosely refers to 'quality' and has been used to define the appropriate conduct of citizens during the era of market reforms. Like other forms of agricultural governmentality, suzhi provides a way of distinguishing 'good farming' and creating entrepreneurial subjectivities. However, in other policy areas, suzhi has been shown to marginalise the poor and reinforce social inequalities. This paper examines the extent to which discourses of suzhi in a biosecurity context contributes to the use of preventive animal health practices, amongst pig farmers in Chongming Island, Shanghai. Drawing on documentary evidence and interviews with 33 farm animal breeders and 3 pig veterinary surgeons, the paper examines how suzhi contributes to the creation of 'good farming' subjectivities in order to modernise the animal health practices of pig farmers. The paper shows how suzhi contributes to the valourisation and stigmatization of different pig farming subjectivities, suggesting that it reinforces existing socio-economic inequalities. Moreover, the paper describes the ways in which modes of conduct associated with suzhi are negotiated and challenged and reduced to a symbolic 'cloak' that disguises the reality of preventive animal health practices. Highlights • A study of agricultural reforms and animal health in the Chinese pig farming industry. • The cultural convention of suzhi defines good farming practices and produces new farming subjectivities with Chinese characteristics. • Suzhi marginalises smallholders and reinforces existing socio-economic inequalities. • Suzhi is negotiated and challenged, disguising actual animal health practices. • Both national policies and local governance system has shaped the guanxi between officials and farmers discursively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A vibrant literature has emerged around Bourdieusian-inspired notions of the 'good farmer' and how such concepts might aid our understandings of agriculture and agricultural change. To date, however, studies of the good farmer have been framed largely in relation to land management, with little consideration given to riparian environments which make up a significant part of the farmed landscape. Drawing on in-depth interviews with farmers in a river catchment in the North of England (UK), this paper considers how farmers' engagement with riparian environments on their farms feature in, and are (re)shaped by, notions of good farming. The paper observes how riparian environments' (im)materiality, unpredictability and untidiness limit their ability to generate and exhibit capital(s) and how an infrequency of direct engagement with rivers – arguably reinforced through recent regulatory changes on what farmers can and cannot do to riparian environments – mean that farmers have often not developed skills and capitals associated with rivers in the same way that they have for land. These observations are used to consider farmers' engagement with more recently introduced river health-enhancing managements and to consider whether, when taken together, we might be witnessing a shift in how riparian environments contribute to good farming and good farmer status. Highlights • Bourdieusian-inspired literature on the 'good farmer' might be expanded to encompass the discussion of riparian environments. • Riparian environments offer fewer opportunities for capital accumulation and capital demonstration for farmers. • There is evidence that positive river management(s) may be starting to be incorporated into good farmer status as the rules of the game change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This paper proposed the wireless sensor networks' development for watering crops to optimize agriculture to design and develop the control system between node sensors in the field of crops and the data management via smartphone and web application. • There are three components consisting of (i) hardware as control box to connect and obtain data of crops, (ii) web application to manipulate the details of crop data and field information, and (iii) mobile application used to control the crop watering. • The data mining technique was applied to analyze the obtained data for predicting the suitable temperature, humidity, and soil moisture of crops in the future plan. • The result showed that this work was suitable for usefulness in agriculture. • The moisture content in the soil was suitable for the vegetables to be converted with good care reducing costs and increasing agricultural productivity. Moreover, this work will be useful to farmers or those interested in agriculture driving by innovation. Abstract In this paper, we propose developing a system optimally watering agricultural crops based on a wireless sensor network. This work aimed to design and develop a control system using node sensors in the crop field with data management via smartphone and a web application. The three components are hardware, web application, and mobile application. The first component was designed and implemented in control box hardware connected to collect data on the crops. Soil moisture sensors are used to monitor the field, connecting to the control box. The second component is a web-based application that was designed and implemented to manipulate the details of crop data and field information. This component applied data mining to analyze the data for predicting suitable temperature, humidity, and soil moisture for optimal future management of crops growth. The final component is mainly used to control crop watering through a mobile application in a smartphone. This allows either automatic or manual control by the user. The automatic control uses data from soil moisture sensors for watering. However, the user can opt for manual control of watering the crops in the functional control mode. The system can send notifications through LINE API for the LINE application. The system was implemented and tested in Makhamtia District, Suratthani Province, Thailand. The results showed the implementation to be useful in agriculture. The moisture content of the soil was maintained appropriately for vegetable growth, reducing costs and increasing agricultural productivity. Moreover, this work represents driving agriculture through digital innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is now more than a decade since integrated agricultural research for development (IAR4D) was proposed as a “new approach” or “set of good practices” for organising research to address complex problems of agricultural development, food security and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Since then, there have been efforts to investigate its impact in comparison to traditional research and development approaches. Although a growing number of publications are testifying to positive impacts of IAR4D and related agricultural research for development (AR4D) approaches, there has been limited explicit attention on its underpinning Theories of Change – the mechanisms or pathways by which it brings about impact. With the aim of contributing to a more robust grounding of the theory of change of IAR4D, this paper uses a comprehensive review of literature on IAR4D and related work experience of the authors in East and West Africa to critically engage with the implicit and explicit explanations and pathways for how and why IAR4D helps to achieve impact. This paper finds four emerging impact pathways focused on (1) market linkage, (2) social capital, (3) institutional change or (4) innovation capacity as critical mediating factors. Acknowledging articulation of each of these mediating pathways as encouraging progress, the article suggests putting these together in an integrated theory of change that also draws on established theories such as Multi-Level Perspective (Geels, 2005) and theory of adaptive change (Holling et al., 2002) to provide clear guidance and tools for designing and implementing effective AR4D interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research emphasises that agricultural innovation projects are influenced in multiple ways by the Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) in which they operate. Yet little attention has been paid to the reverse direction of this relationship, i.e. how agricultural innovation projects affect AIS in the course of their innovative activities. Accordingly, there are currently no tools to measure such AIS spillovers from agricultural innovation projects. This paper shows that even where agricultural innovation projects have not been designed with the explicit aim of influencing AIS they can have spillovers on the AIS in which they operate. Based on this finding, it argues that designing agricultural innovation projects in a way that maximises such positive and reduces negative AIS spillovers would be a useful tool for strengthening agricultural innovation capacities in a particular territory or sector. Based on the concept of agricultural innovation projects as Organisational Innovation Systems (OIS) that are embedded in AIS, the paper develops an analytical framework for assessing spillovers of such projects on AIS and applies it to a case study of an Operational Group in the German Federal State of Hessen. The case study shows that agricultural innovation projects may yield diverse spillovers on the AIS in which they operate. In addition to considering how agricultural innovation projects are shaped – constrained and/or enabled – by AIS, the research community on agricultural innovation should pay more attention to this side of the interrelation of AIS and agricultural innovation projects. Designing agricultural innovation projects responsibly so that spillovers on AIS are monitored can help to improve national or sectoral AIS. This paper points to an underexplored issue in research on agricultural innovation and, related to this, a thus far unused potential policy tool for improving national and sectoral AIS. It further develops the concept of innovation projects as OIS into an approach for assessing the effects of projects on AIS; an area of project assessment that until now has not been adequately covered. [Display omitted] • Agricultural innovation projects may have spillover effects on the Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) they operate in. • We develop a heuristic framework for assessing such AIS spillovers and apply it to a case study of an innovation project. • We find that the project yielded several effects on the AIS as spillovers from its innovative activities. • These effects included actors' knowledge gains in project administration and a strengthened local culture of cooperation. • This suggests that a spillover-sensitive design of agricultural innovation projects can be a tool for strengthening AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical examination of smart farming. I follow other critical analyses in recognizing the centrality of innovation processes in generating smart farming products, services, arrangements, and problematic outcomes. I subsequently use insights from critical human geography scholarship on the significance of understanding topological transformations to move beyond interpretations that identify only a narrow range of smart farming problems, such as a lack of coordination or limited uptake by farmers. Instead, I examine a broader set of challenges produced by smart farming developments. The overriding concern, I argue, is that smart farming unfolds via the production of numerous 'misconfigured innovations.' Using insights from literature on responsible research and innovation I then probe the stakes of looking beyond the misconfigured innovations of smart farming and discuss how new technologies might come to play a role in producing emancipatory smart farming. I pay attention to research on the 'internet of people,' which paints a stark new picture of social life generally, and in particular how rural life might be computed and calculated according to new conceptualizations of sociality and spatiality. • Smart farming developments amplify the relationship between agriculture and the planetary cognitive ecology. • Extant smart farming developments yield 'misconfigured innovations'. • 'Emancipatory smart farming' is needed to move beyond 'Responsible Research and Innovation' frameworks. • 'Internet of people' technologies look set to play an unpredictable role in the creation of emancipatory smart farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sub-Sahara Africa, which includes Zimbabwe, about 80% of the population depends on agriculture for subsistence, employment and income. Agricultural production and productivity are, however, low. This has been attributed to a lack of appropriate innovations despite the huge investments that have been made to promote ‘innovations’ as a means to safeguarding agriculture-based livelihoods, which raises the question of how innovations are conceptualized, designed and implemented. This paper explores the key attributes of agricultural innovations by assessing how innovations are conceptualized, designed and implemented in semi-arid smallholder farming systems in south-west Zimbabwe. The study gathered information from 13 key informants and a household survey of 239 farmer households from Gwanda and Insiza districts. Results showed a multiplicity of understandings of agricultural innovations among different stakeholders. However, novelty/newness, utility and adaptability were identified as the major attributes. In general, farmers characterized agricultural innovations as ‘something new and mostly introduced by NGOs’ but did not associate them with the key attributes of utility and adaptability. More crop-related innovations were identified despite the area being suitable for livestock production. The paper concludes that, rather than view the multiple and sometimes competing understandings of agricultural innovations as undesirable, this should be used to promote context specific innovations which stand a better chance of enhancing agriculture-based livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate services are integral to climate change adaptation in agriculture. Inclusive innovation prioritises inclusion of marginalised actors, grassroots knowledge and accessibility of use. Yet many innovation processes are multi-stakeholder, complex and may not prioritise inclusion from the outset. In these circumstances, researchers and designers may seek to influence existing projects towards greater inclusivity. This paper explores efforts to increase the inclusivity of existing innovation processes, focusing on the design of My Climate View, an online Australian climate services platform for agriculture. Findings relate to contemporary issues in inclusive innovation literature, including: (1) Who should be included in innovation processes (within given resourcing)?; (2) How requirements for inclusion or exclusion can emerge through the design and use of a technology; and (3) The influence of program level structures upon inclusivity and design. Our approach is informed by Responsible Innovation and Inclusive Innovation theory and enacted through user-centred design. Findings are synthesised from analysis of 60 semi-structured interviews with farmers, advisors and extension officers. We additionally draw on observations as researchers in the multi-actor My Climate View development team, where extensive engagement separate to research activities has included agricultural and Indigenous stakeholders. Engaging with a broad sample of potential target users enabled diverse and sometimes unexpected use cases. Customisation of interface parameters allowed the incorporation of tacit knowledge and positively affected the inclusivity of My Climate View, extending the value of the platform to growers of niche commodities outside of the original scope. Inclusivity in innovation can be impacted by diverse factors, including design team decisions, structural factors, budget and external factors. Requirements for inclusion and exclusion can emerge and evolve throughout a design process, supporting Responsible Innovation's framing of inclusivity alongside principles of reflexivity and responsiveness. The findings enrich the evidence base for climate services and broader agricultural technology development processes by providing insights for those seeking greater impact by practicing inclusivity in innovation. We provide four implications for increasing inclusivity in the design of climate services: (1) Maximising customisation and avoiding prescriptive interpretation enables greater flexibility of use; (2) Sampling broadly within target users to uncover unanticipated values and opportunities for inclusion and exclusion; (3) It is important to embed efforts towards inclusion alongside processes of reflexivity; and (4) Responsible and inclusive approaches to climate services design are valuable even if brought in once development has commenced. [Display omitted] • Explores the challenges of steering a largescale climate services innovation project towards greater inclusivity. • Maximising customisation options for users and avoiding prescriptive interpretation enables greater flexibility of use. • Responsible and inclusive approaches to climate services design are valuable even if adopted once development has commenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study focused on the analysis of phytosanitary treatment sales in the Souss Massa region of Morocco. The objective of the study is to predict the sales of agricultural products, particularly crop protection solutions, aiming to optimize supply chain operations and meet customer demand effectively. Data for this study are collected from multiple sources, including the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system called Microsoft Dynamics AXAPTA used by a leading agricultural company operating in the region. Information such as the date of sale, farming type, climate, and specific sales locations within the Sous Massa region is gathered. Machine learning techniques are applied for forecasting. Various regression models, including the Gradient Boosting Regressor algorithm, are employed to determine the most accurate predictor. Evaluation of the models reveals promising results, with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.0035 and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.0066. The results obtained by applying various regression models, including the Gradient Boosting Regressor algorithm, demonstrate promising prediction scores. These findings contribute to the field of sales prediction in the agricultural industry while considering the impact of climate conditions, farming practices, and regional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key strategy in progressing towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is scaling innovations to improve livelihoods of marginalized populations globally. Consequently, there has been a heightened emphasis on Agriculture Research for Development (AR4D) innovation teams' ability to swiftly identify innovations that can be scaled for broad impact. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the equitable distribution of benefits among different demographic groups, leading to documented unintended consequences affecting some of the most marginalized communities. To effectively contribute to the SDGs and avoid harm to specific groups, AR4D innovation teams must conscientiously consider various dimensions of diversity, including gender and other relevant factors. Our objective is to introduce GenderUp, a new conversational method for responsible scaling, oriented to making scaling initiatives more inclusive and anticipatory of socially differentiated trade-offs. This new AR4D scaling tool seeks to ensure that scaling efforts not only contribute effectively to the SDGs but also consider and mitigate unintended consequences for marginalized communities. This paper describes a new socially responsible scaling tool. Starting with a defined innovation, GenderUp helps: i) identify relevant diversity and intersectionality among intended innovation users; and ii) re-direct scaling strategies to better anticipate and mitigate unintended consequences for specific social groups. Through a series of five stages, a GenderUp facilitator guides teams through discussions, learning activities, and practical integration to develop a socially responsible scaling strategy. We provide details about each stage and reflect on the results of two early pilot experiences. There is a need for increased recognition of the distribution of innovation benefits based on dimensions of diversity. GenderUp is proposed as a new method to systematically address social differentiation in the scaling of AR4D innovation. GenderUp supported two different innovation and scaling teams to rethink their scaling strategies. Both innovation teams identified at-risk intersectional profiles and made adjustments to their scaling strategies to ensure these groups were not harmed by the innovation or scaling activities. These promising examples suggest that GenderUp provides a simple ex-ante analysis that can reduce unintended consequences more broadly within AR4D. Although gender and social equity are prioritized globally there are very few experts, tools, and systems in place to achieve these cross-cutting goals. While GenderUp only addresses innovation at the scaling stage, it is a step towards systemizing responding to social differentiation within AR4D to at least do no harm, and at best improve social outcomes. [Display omitted] • Research for Development actors increasingly rely on achieving Sustainable Development Golas through scaling innovation. • Gender and social equity are global priorities, but tools for addressing social differentiation in scaling are lacking. • Based on Responsible Research and Gender studies, GenderUp is a method for more equitable agricultural innovation scaling. • GenderUp guides innovation teams through five stages emphasizing conversations, learning, reflexivity, and integration. • GenderUp fosters a socially responsible scaling strategy, helping to advance gender-positive and socially equitable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Living Lab" (LL) model of innovation practices is increasingly applied and strongly supported by innovation policies in the agricultural sector. But while the main principles of LLs imply specific approaches to collectively implementing open innovation processes, few studies have developed an understanding of the different ways of doing so, in relation to the experimental practices on which they rely. While the specificities of agricultural LLs are beginning to be described, little is known about how they more particularly reconfigure experimentation in agricultural innovation systems. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the diversity of experimentation practices in agricultural LLs. It looks at how these practices correspond to different contextualized appropriations of an open innovation model, as translated into key principles for LL implementation. First, we produced an analytical framework that combines the principles of the LL model as described in the LL literature with generic dimensions of experimentation as analyzed in Science and Technology Studies. Second, we used this framework to analyze the diversity of experimentation practices in eighteen cases of LLs in the agricultural and food sectors. Cases were analyzed via two approaches: 1- three small and recent ongoing LLs located in France were studied during a one-year immersive observation; and 2- a collection of 15 other cases (identified in scientific and technical literature, each case corresponding to experiments that are forms of appropriation of the LL model of innovation, sometimes in several similar LLs) were analyzed, mostly based on scientific papers (describing the LLs or their outcomes), technical documents and available information such as videos online, with additional visits and discussions with LL actors for a subset of cases. Our results enable us to characterize three ideal-types of experimentation practices within agricultural LLs: 1- experimentation as a game of creativity in a predefined space; 2- experimentation as a progressive contextual adaptation for innovation adoption; and 3- experimentation as a catalyst for long-term local collective action. Each ideal-type corresponds to a particular combination of ways of (i) controlling what happens within the experimentation space, (ii) defining a perimeter for experimentation, (iii) integrating plural knowledge in problematization, and (iv) integrating various actors' evaluations of experiments. Beyond a clear distinction among ideal-types, appropriations of the LL model reveal different ways of anchoring the experimental process in an explicit temporality and situation, and of considering the construction of the LL itself as experimental and open-ended. Our analytical framework opens a new way to distinguish between various experimentation practices claiming to develop open innovation processes in agriculture. The three ideal-types that we have identified show the need to pay attention to the relation between collective experimentation practices and the LL expected outcomes. [Display omitted] • Many Living Labs are developed as new models of and for innovation processes in the agricultural sector, and transform experimentation practices. • A new analytical framework of experimentation practices within agricultural Living Labs is developed and applied. • Three widely different ideal types of experimentation practices within agricultural Living Labs are identified and described. • These ideal types promote reflexivity on the processes and outcomes targeted by actors implementing agricultural Living Labs. • Our analysis offers an understanding of how products and outcomes of innovation processes relate to experimentation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio is the most widely used medium for disseminating information to rural audiences across Africa. Even in very poor communities, radio penetration is vast; it is estimated there are over 800 million radios in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper summarizes evidence on food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa and strategies to provide information on innovative agricultural practices to smallholder farmers. The research in this paper is then discussed within the context of research on information and communication technologies (ICTS) for development. Next, the paper presents the ICT-enhanced participatory radio campaign approach and ICT innovations introduced by Farm Radio International, a Canadian nongovernmental organization. The paper analyzes two participatory radio campaigns that use both listening groups and ICTs to engage African farmers. Research on these radio campaigns in six African countries is reported to examine how the participatory approach impacted listenership, knowledge and initial adoption of agricultural techniques and practices presented in the radio campaigns. The authors conclude that the findings of research on these projects could be highly relevant for increasing awareness and adoption of agricultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa. They also appear promising for other development sectors and for other developing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still an open question how to assess the contribution of digitalisation in agriculture to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, and how digitalisation then can be done in a responsible way. A socio-cyber-physical system (SCPS) concept can help this analysis, but little experience exists with its operationalisation and application, and its integration with the Responsible Research and Innovation approach. To address this gap, this paper has a twofold purpose: a) operationalise the SCPS concept within an integrated assessment framework adaptable to multiple levels of analysis, contexts, and purposes (e.g. ex-ante, ongoing, ex post evaluation) to shed light on impacts of digitalisation in relation to SCPS entities, relationships, and activities; b) apply the designed framework in 21 multi-stakeholder platforms (Living Labs), which were established to explore needs and expectations in specific subjects relevant for European agriculture, forestry and rural areas. Impacts were assessed through interviews (158 respondents), focus groups (378 participants), online surveys (273 respondents), and other secondary data. The findings indicate that the SCPS framework enables elucidating relationships between digital and broader sustainable development goals and needs, and can sharpen earlier assessments, going beyond a pessimistic or optimistic dichotomy associated to digitalisation by specifying effects and trade-offs in terms of enabling, disenabling, boosting and depleting impacts of digital agriculture. However, the framework being comprehensive and open to emerging socio-cyber-physical interactions, makes that Livings Labs doing participatory impact assessments struggled with the complexity and multiple dimensions of the topic. The paper provides both conceptual and operational knowledge to set up impact evaluations of responsible digitalisation in agriculture and outline concepts that can help anticipating the consequences and trade-offs. [Display omitted] • The paper outlines concepts for anticipating the consequences and trade-offs of digitalisation. • Application of a socio-cyber-physical framework to assess digitalisation impacts in 21 Living Labs. • Presenting a typology of enabling, disenabling, boosting and depleting impacts of digitalisation. • This framework and typology enable impact evaluations for responsible digitalisation in agriculture. • Responsible digitalisation means working in parallel on design, access, and system complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector is undergoing several transitions through "smart-farming" technologies. To make this innovation responsible, it is critical to support technological innovation at different stages of innovation with customized strategies for the individual technology. What are the critical support functions at different stages of technological innovation in agriculture? Four technologies are analysed: Automated Milking Systems (AMS), a digital fencing system for the virtual herding of goats, a technology for drone-based observation and management in agriculture and forestry, and round baler silage systems. These are analysed as sociotechnical constructions of multiple stakeholders, with heterogeneous pathways to societal acceptance and practical usage on the farm. To provide information about how such technology can be created in a responsible manner, the paper suggests a Balanced Readiness Level assessment (BRLa) to highlight five dimensions for technological maturity: technological, market, regulatory, social acceptance, and organizational maturity. Through this approach, the findings show that each phase of the technological development benefits from specifically targeted support and that support functions should not be underestimated in order to get technology to a higher level of acceptance. Agriculture is facing challenges that demand transition of the sector. Supporting invention to stimulate innovation is important; supporting implementation is also important, but identifying the supporting functions that can have an impact at the societal level is crucial to stimulating transition of the system. This paper clarifies the variations of the supporting functions. [Display omitted] • Exploring critical support functions at different stages of technological innovation in agriculture • Balanced Readiness Level assessment (BRLa) highlight technology, market, regulation, social acceptance, and organization • Technology is socio-technically constructed by multiple stakeholders negotiating technological innovation • Crucial to identify the supporting functions that have an impact to stimulate the system's transition at the macro-level [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two major agricultural transformations are currently being promoted worldwide: digitalisation and ecologisation, that include different practices such as organic farming and sustainable intensification. In literature and in societal debates, these two transformations are sometimes described as antagonistic and sometimes as convergent but are rarely studied together. Using an innovation system approach, this paper discusses how diverse ecologisation pathways grasp digitalisation in the French agricultural sector; and do not discriminate against organic farming. Based on interviews with key representatives of conventional agriculture, organic agriculture and organisations that promote or develop digital agriculture, we explore how these actors perceive and participate in digital development in agriculture. We show that although all the actors are interested and involved in digital development, behind this apparent convergence, organic and conventional actors perceive neither the same benefits nor the same risks and consequently do not implement the same innovation processes. We conclude that digitalisation has different meanings depending on the actors' paradigm, but that digital actors fail to perceive these differences. This difference in perception should be taken into account if digital development is to benefit all kinds of agriculture and not discriminate against organic farming and more widely, against agroecology. • Impacts and opportunities of digitalisation are shared across the agricultural sector. • Digitalisation is perceived differently by organic and conventional players. • Consequently, organisations participate differently in digitalisation innovation processes. • Differences in digitalisation processes are not perceived by digital organisations. • Promoting the diversity of digitalisation pathways is a challenge for policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying big data technology to intelligent marketing of agricultural products is the development trend of agricultural product production and marketing information service, and is an important measure to improve farmers' income and realize targeted poverty alleviation. After analyzing the existing problems of intelligent marketing of agricultural products in the era of big data, this paper constructs the innovation mode of intelligent marketing technology of agricultural products in the era of big data from the collection, storage and analysis technology of big data of intelligent marketing of agricultural products, the construction of the big data center of intelligent marketing of agricultural products and the construction of the public platform of intelligent marketing information service of agricultural products Can be applied in marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural waste is large in number and the utilization rate is extremely low in China, requiring remediated. Formatting the project system and introducing the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode are inevitable to realize the specialization and socialization in resource utilization of agricultural wastes. However, the confusion of financing, management, responsibilities of participants and difficulties in coordinating interests limit the expected effect of the resource utilization of agricultural wastes (RUAW). To this end, combined with the examination of actual cases, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model of RUAW PPP projects among local government, social capital and farmers, then conducts simulation and case study. We find that the local government does not supervise, social capital acts opportunistically, and farmers choose to cooperate is the evolutionary stable situation, and the cost of supervision for local government and the reward and punishment mechanism of local government to social capital will largely influence the strategy choice of the stakeholders. Strengthening the local government's sense of responsibility and regulatory capacity, optimizing the reward and punishment system, vigorously making technological innovations, and improving the operational capacity of the special purpose vehicle can effectively improve the efficiency of cooperation. The results of the study have some guiding significance for further improving the level of circular agriculture in China even in developing countries and forming a more complete system of resource utilization of agricultural wastes. • The PPP model was used in projects of resource utilization of agricultural wastes. • The local government plays an important role in coordinating between social capital and farmers. • The probability that the social capital will act opportunistically in the PPP project is extremely high. • Farmers' willingness to cooperate is sometimes fragile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability-Oriented Innovation (SOI) is recognized as a way to address agrifood system sustainability challenges. Because of its complexity, SOI requires inter-organizational collaboration between actors within and around value chains. Since farming practices account for a large part of the environmental impact of food products, farmer involvement in SOI processes is key. However, there is a lack of evidence on the degree of farmer engagement in inter-organizational collaboration, as well as the diversity of partners involved. Moreover, our understanding of the heterogeneity of collaboration in relation to the sustainability dimensions of the innovation SOI processes is limited. The objectives of our research are twofold. First, to propose a novel conceptualization of SOI, converging the sustainability specificities of the innovation process and the characteristics of the collaboration supporting the innovation process. Second, to unpack heterogeneous forms of collaboration in SOI with attention to farmer engagement in these forms. We developed the SOI framework and analyzed SOI processes in the fruit and vegetable sector across Europe. A multiple correspondence statistical analysis was carried out based on data from more than one hundred value chains that have implemented a SOI process. A hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to reveal patterns of collaboration in SOI. The results show different patterns of collaborative SOI in European fruit and vegetable chains. The SOI differ as regards to three specific dimensions: the diversity, the direction, and the distribution; and they rely on various collaboration forms. Seven clusters are analyzed and discussed, with specific attention to the farmer engagement in the collaboration forms. We differentiated between 1) Intermediary-led farm & food innovation with farmer collaboration; 2) Intermediary-led short food supply chain innovation with farmer collaboration; 3) Processor-led green food product innovation without farmer collaboration; 4) Farmer-led sustainable agricultural practices innovation with a collaborative network; 5) Farmer-led coupled innovation with downstream integration; 6) value chain actor-led coupled innovation with farmer collaboration; 7) Retailer-led distribution innovation without farmer collaboration. The relationship between diverse collaboration forms and SOI dimensions is discussed. Revealing the heterogeneity of collaboration forms in SOI processes is important for developing sound policies. Given the significant role of farmers in sustainable agrifood system transitions, this paper reveals various levels of farmer engagement in collaborative SOI processes in value chains. Results have implications for mission-oriented policies since they allow a more precise and targeted approach to agrifood chains within the broader agrifood system transformation. [Display omitted] • Sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) has three dimensions: direction, diversity, and distribution • SOI requires collaboration among multiple actors within and around the value chain • SOI is characterised in 74 food value chains in Europe; seven clusters reveal the heterogeneity of collaboration • The relationship between heterogeneity of collaboration and SOI dimensions provides insights for targeted innovation policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current policy discourse in the European Union and elsewhere identifies the 'multi-actor approach' and 'co-innovation' as powerful tools for 'speeding up' innovation in agriculture and related sectors. This paper analyses tensions in five project-based multi-actor partnerships (MAPs) in Europe. The ways in which actors form partnerships and the evaluation principles they follow to coordinate their work are explored through a focus on 'objects of justification'. We identified four objects, on which partners express different opinions and disagreements: the creation of partnerships, how actors work together, their attitudes to societal challenges (in particular, the environment) and their understanding of the benefits of participation. The tensions that arose around these four objects were linked to different evaluation principles that the partners employ, which in turn were attributable to their contrasting experiences of working in MAPs. Convention Theory was applied to understand these points of tension and to identify significant problems that the project activity can generate. These included segmentation between the partners that influences the way the project objectives and activities are formulated, inadequate addressing of practical problems by the set project objectives and conflicts of environmental perceptions. Opportunistic actions may compromise the benefits of the project activity. To work together and overcome tensions, partners most often use a strategy of compromise. Denunciations and clarifications, although present, do not necessarily lead to a premature end of the project activities. • Multi-actor partnerships (MAPs) are collective structures that function also by overcoming various tensions due to moral dilemmas of actors. • Four main issues ('objects of justification') create tensions between MAPs partners, namely, the selection of partners, how they worked together, their perceptions of societal challenges, and their understanding of the benefits they derived from their collaboration. • Project-based multi-actor partnerships raise segmentation between partners due to their different experience with 'project world' but mitigate existing social and professional stereotypes; • The tensions do not necessarily lead to premature project or partnership closure. Applying Convention theory, we understand that the most common strategy used to solve tensions is that of compromise and clarifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analyse how TLM changes property rights, livelihoods and landscapes. • Remittances help households to cope with shocks and support livelihoods. • TLM can produce important agrarian-environmental changes. • However, TLM ultimately fails to transform entrenched structural inequalities. • Advance the rights of migrants and enhance state support to improve TLM outcomes. While scholars and policy makers have increasingly focused on transnational labour migration (TLM) in Asia, few comparative studies have analysed how TLM shapes poverty, livelihoods, vulnerability, and agrarian-forest change across different rural contexts. Based on focused comparative fieldwork and a critical review of the secondary literature, this paper identifies the salient patterns of TLM-led change affecting rural livelihoods and agrarian-forest landscapes in three migrant-sending Asian countries: Nepal, Indonesia and Laos. Depending on how social relations, including those based on gender and ethnicity, and how specific geographic places are integrated into migration pathways, TLM can result in patterns of changes involving agricultural deactivation and de-agrarianisation, as well as incipient re-agrarianisation. We also find that where remittances are integrated with diversified livelihood portfolios, and where state policies play a supportive role, transnational labour migration may improve household livelihoods. In the absence of these factors, the transformative potential of TLM can be overestimated, and TLM may end up reproducing underlying structural drivers of rural poverty and vulnerability. We, therefore, challenge the simplistic narrative that TLM provides an easy solution to the limitations of rural development in agrarian Asia. We suggest policy innovations that ameliorate critical issues of migrant vulnerability and precarity, and that support the mobilisation of labour remittances for agricultural development and livelihood diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, a core-periphery model has been allowed to develop in rural areas, leading to the marginalization and even abandonment of farms due to low competitiveness, which in turn has negatively impacted on the local agri-food industry. Innovation serves to reduce differences across regions, but little is known of innovative behaviors in the agri-food sector in peripheral regions. The aim of this study is to identify the determinants of innovation in the agri-food industry in Castilla-La Mancha, a rural-peripheral region in the south-east of Spain. The region presents a semi-arid environment, characterized by large geographical distances and a dispersed population. The productive structure is dominated by small and medium enterprises dedicated to traditional industries, the largest of which is wine production. A linear regression was conducted using the Box-Cox transformation method on a database of 771 regional agri-food companies, integrating factors of the companies' structure with other from the socioeconomic environment, following the interactive approach of the evolutionary theory of innovation. The internal factors or specific characteristics of the company are those which most influence the propensity to innovate, while external factors also have an impact, especially the level of training in the area, the knowledge exchange undertaken with research centers and the location of companies in intermediate rural and peri-urban areas. In short, capacity and effort are key factors in explaining the level of innovation of companies in an area, but our research leads to the conclusion that these are determined by the geographical location. Thus, the particular space, even in peripheral rural areas, is asymmetrical and conditions the possibilities of innovation of rural areas, with the most innovative companies being located in areas with the greatest comparative development. This, therefore, constitutes a threefold territorial framework: center – intermediate periphery - periphery of the periphery, thus nuancing the more traditional view of economic geography. • This paper analyzes the factors driving innovation from the agriculture industry in rural-peripheral regions of the south of Europe. • The study reveals that in this context, innovation is mainly predicted by internal factors related to companies. • The legal form of the company is also important; cooperatives emerge as agents for change that promote innovation. • The variables related to the environment plays also a role but they are not sufficiently significant. • A core-periphery organization within the periphery is identified, since the least populated areas, which are at a greater distance from knowledge and research institutions are those where innovation is least favored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe social change and the potential of agricultural innovation processes to create, or expand, spaces for women to exercise agency in economic and agricultural decision-making in Kenya. Rural communities are increasingly drawn into global processes that create local economic and agrarian change, with marked influences on gender relations, roles and responsibilities. We draw on a qualitative case study with 140 research participants from rural and peri-urban villages in Western Kenya. We examine how global processes have fostered local level changes in the last decade to contextualize innovation processes. Economic changes related to paid work and an evident increase of women's participation in rural development programs reflect, in part, a gender, often women-centred development agenda that targets women in rural programming. Next, we describe a more recent agricultural innovation process to explore decision-making about time use, access to and control over productive resources. Lastly, we describe patterns in gender relations, roles and responsibilities that have changed in response to broader community change and how innovation specific decision-making may create spaces for women to exercise agency in local contexts. We draw on feminist geographic perspectives to better understand these processes through an exploration of everyday practices. Our focus on gender relations and agency as spatial phenomena facilitates an understanding of how roles and responsibilities are created, reproduced and, in some cases, transformed to increase women's agency in particular spaces. Our key findings highlight how economic pressure and agricultural programs that focus on women have brought women into public spaces in new ways and created gendered opportunity spaces amidst persisting roles of men as authorities and final decision-makers and women playing supportive roles. Innovation processes often replicate gender patterns through decision-making in productive assets, however access to agriknowledge offers avenues for women to expand their opportunity spaces by expanding social networks and their ability to negotiate for resources in the household. We recommend further studies that draw on feminist geography to inform the design of agricultural innovations and interventions to benefit women, men and to improve overall livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing agricultural carbon emissions is an essential lever for mitigating climate change and promoting high-quality agricultural development. Environmental regulation in the form of resource agglomeration, represented by the high-standard farmland construction policy, plays a vital role in the emission reduction process. Using the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2001 to 2019 and taking the high-standard farmland construction policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper constructs a continuous differences-in-differences (DID) model to explore the impact and mechanism of environmental regulation in the form of resource agglomeration (RAER) on agricultural carbon emission reduction. The results show that RAER significantly reduces agricultural carbon emissions by an average of 3.9%. This conclusion still holds after robustness tests such as endogenous tests, eliminating policy interference, and sample reprocessing. This abatement utility is mainly realized through the technique effect of promoting green technology innovation and the composition effect of optimizing crop cultivation structure. Based on the resource attribute characteristics, the agricultural carbon emission reduction effects of RAER are, in descending order, capital and facility. Further study found heterogeneity in four aspects of the effect of RAER on agricultural carbon emission reduction: regional, planted crops, carbon emission sources, and carbon emission intensity. Therefore, decision-makers should deepen environmental regulation reform through resource agglomeration, implement adapting to local conditions for the high-standard farmland construction policy, and promote policy innovation and system optimization of agricultural carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge, especially tacit knowledge (TK), has become the most strategic resource for firms' innovativeness and competitiveness. However, most agricultural firms struggle to effectively manage TK to improve their innovation capability. This study aims to examine the relationships between firms' proximity, including geographic proximity (GP), cognitive proximity (CP), social proximity (SP) and organizational proximity (OP), external tacit knowledge acquisition (ETKA) and incremental innovation capacity (IIC). The study also examines the mediating role of ETKA in the relationship between proximity dimensions and FFF's IIC. The paper draws on the theoretical framework of knowledge-based view and knowledge management (KM) and adopt structural modeling equation for research hypothesis testing. Primary data are collected between October and November 2021 through face-to-face interviews at 320 FFF level. The results reveal that SP and OP positively affect ETKA and IIC of FFF, while GP and CP failed. The evidence further shows that ETKA significantly improves FFF' IIC. The results also highlight the partial mediating effect ETKA. The study suggests that FFF owner-managers can improve ETKA and boost IIC by building and optimizing strong close relationships between FFFs based on trust and shared goals. The finding provides useful implications for policymakers and agricultural firms managers regarding the adoption of embedded open innovation paradigm based on proximity dimensions. This study extends the literature on agricultural innovation by providing evidence of the link between proximity-KM-IIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security remains a major concern, as efforts to commercialise and specialise in agricultural production have been constrained. This is partly due to land scarcity, compelling smallholder farmers to operate on fragmented lands. Land reforms that seek to consolidate lands and promote crop specialisation can be welfare-enhancing because they can stimulate investment in agricultural innovation. Rwanda's 2008 land use consolidation (LUC) programme merges parcels of land and promotes crop specialisation. After more than a decade of its implementation, the beckoning question is whether LUC programme has improved technology adoption. Relying on previous three rounds of national survey data, capturing before and after the implementation of LUC programme, this paper contributes to the literature by (1) assessing the short- and long-run relationships between LUC and improved input uptake and (2) determining what conditions could influence the way LUC impact technology adoption. The result shows that the implementation of LUC leads to uptake of agricultural inputs both in the short- and long-run, but the impact is more in the long run. While in the short run, access to finance and asset ownership act as the underlying conditioning factors, in the long run, the dominant complementary factor is access to credit. These results suggest that there might be underlying structural factors that may inhibit the influence of LUC on technology adoption and hence the attainment of the goal of food security in Rwanda. • Nexus between farm input uptakes and land use consolidation policy in rural Rwanda. • Directly, LUC increased the input uptakes and adoption rates for Hybridge seeds, fertilizers, pesticides & farm irrigation. • Indirectly, the policy is associated with farm loans but not with livestock farming & nor households with salaries or wages. • This suggests that the land reforms should be aligned to support interventions that target the adoption of inputs' uptakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are calls for social innovation to help with the effort to halt biodiversity loss. However, research on social innovation and biodiversity is dispersed and covers a multitude of disciplines. A systematic overview of research on social innovation and biodiversity is missing and this paper contributes by focusing on social innovation to tackle the drivers of biodiversity loss and unsustainability. The paper reviews research on social innovation in changing land use (agriculture, forestry, aquatic ecosystems and cities), in tackling exploitation of organisms (fishing, hunting, harvesting), and in addressing threats of climate change, pollution and invasive species. Across these drivers, we find a) a strong emphasis on social innovation as civic action for changing practices in addressing unsustainability, b) that social innovation research tends to focus on local experimentation although there are bodies of literature on policy-driven innovations and consumer/producer-driven innovations, and c) that there is very little research taking a critical perspective to explore negative or unintended consequences of social innovation. Drawing on the review, we propose three cross cutting issues that can be a focus for future research, practice and supportive policy: social innovation for nature-based solutions, social innovation for participatory governance, and social innovation for technology that tackles biodiversity loss. • Review covers social innovation tackling main drivers of biodiversity loss. • Social innovation for biodiversity focuses on civic action for changing practices. • Literature focuses on local experimentation with gaps on indigenous solutions. • Cross-cutting themes are nature-based solutions, technology and governance. • Transformation research needs a focus on social innovation and social exnovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest and importance for responsible research and innovation (RRI) among academic scholars and policy makers, especially, in relation to emerging technologies in the agricultural context. While the evolution of smart technologies in agriculture has led to an increase of available solutions that can be used by farmers, the RRI process of new farming technology has been minimally detailed in research contributions to date. This paper thus aims to describe the first 3 phases of a design thinking process to aid with the development of an agricultural innovation, namely, a geotag photo application for use on smart devices. The design thinking approach involved engaging with target users, such as farmers, farm advisors and inspectors, alongside research scientists, app developers and the national agricultural governing body in Ireland to commence the app development process. This paper describes methodology used to elicit the first three major phases of the design thinking approach: empathise, define and ideation. In the first phase a stakeholder mapping activity was conducted, as well as 7 focus groups and 10 interviews with users and other key actors regarding the challenges and needs related to using the app. The define phase included a reflection of results from the first phase and subsequent development of user-personas and problem statements to inform the third phase. The third phase, ideation, consisted of four interactive user-centred workshops, focusing on app needs, in which ideas and solutions were developed and prioritised. The design thinking approach supported multiple stakeholders to express and evaluate the benefits and challenges they associated with the initial development phases involved in designing a new geotag photo app. It also revealed that, by including farmers and additional actors in developing new farming technology enables technology developers to harness the full value of multiples types of knowledge and expertise. In conclusion, future research on innovation development should consider that by enabling engagement among a wide variety of actors, such as that offered by the initial stages of design thinking, and attending to a greater diversity of values is essential to the development of a responsible, and responsive, digital tool. This study is the first to methodically document the early stages of developing a geotag smartphone app using a design thinking approach. This paper will therefore benefit other scholars aiming to include farmers, and other agricultural stakeholders to have an input on the agri-tech development decisions that will ultimately impact their farming lives. [Display omitted] • Design Thinking was used to develop an app • Methodological development of the app is presented • Design thinking highlighted disparate needs, motivations, and intentions for the app [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welfare state transitions require not only experimentation and social learning to explore the potential of innovations for sustainable development but also monitoring to draw vital lessons from experiments for application now and in the future. However, current approaches to learning are mostly concerned with what happens within the boundaries of innovation experiments, whereas transitions in the making feature important boundary-crossing processes between initiatives and their environment. In this paper, we explore the learning approach of negotiation of meaning as a basis for transition monitoring in a New Zealand programme for agricultural innovation called 'Primary Innovation'. We used a mix of specifically crafted value add documents and workshops to foster learning processes between innovation projects and incumbents. Results suggest that a negotiation-of-meaning perspective offers an important complement to our understanding of learning processes in transition contexts and how to facilitate them. • Learning processes remain under-conceptualised in transition science. • Transition-specific contexts require specific approaches to learning. • Negotiation of meaning supports learning in transitions. • "Value Add Documents" support innovation programme monitoring. • Welfare states have specific potential to support learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although agricultural innovation systems (AIS) have recently received considerable attention in academic and development circles, links between an AIS's regional specifications and structural-functional analysis have been neglected. This paper aims to understand how regional and structural dimensions determine systemic problems and blocking mechanisms that, in turn, hinder a regional AIS's function. From the basis of a qualitative data set, it presents an analysis of an AIS in Vietnam's Northern Uplands using an integrated regional-structural-functional framework. Results indicate that the existing AIS has six unique problems that are linked to seven blocking mechanisms, mainly belonging to three structural components: infrastructure, actors and institutions. Addressing these blocking mechanisms needs systemic instruments that help stimulate and balance investments, creating spaces for the development of actors' capability, and facilitating the institutional shift towards enabling region-oriented agriculture and demand-driven innovation processes. First, this study contributes an analysis of the integration of regional dimensions and technologies captured as a structural entity into the structural-functional framework, providing novel insights into the functioning of a regional AIS. Second, it deepens the literature on structural-functional innovation systems analysis by looking at the interconnections between structural and regional dimensions and how they create blocking mechanisms. It concludes that the regional-structural-functional analysis allows the design of integrated coherent sets of systemic instruments for a regional AIS. • Integrated regional-structural-functional analysis addresses a regional agricultural innovation system's specification • Nature of technologies explains how and why the system's functional performance matter • Blocking mechanisms can be identified by analysing interconnections between regional and structural dimensions • An effective transformation of a regional agricultural innovation system can be addressed by an adaptive approach [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Rural Southeast Asia is undergoing a series profound changes, often referred to as 'rural transformation', but recent research is divided as to whether rural transformation is underway in Myanmar. This paper addresses two empirical questions. (1) Is rural transformation taking place in Myanmar? (2) How has rural transformation affected the welfare of rural households in Myanmar's Central Dry Zone? We find evidence of significant rural transformation happening in the Dry Zone. The following features stand out: First, there has been a shift in relative economic status and power between landholders and the landless, in favor of the latter. This rebalancing has occurred mainly due to rising rural wages linked to rapid migration to urban areas. Second, widespread agricultural mechanization has taken place over the same period as migration. However, despite generating some labor savings for farm households, the labor productivity boosting effects of farm machinery appear to have produced insufficient gains to offset the effects of rural wage increases. Third, migration appears to offer the prospect of greater social and economic mobility to landless and marginal farm households. For all groups of households, including the landless, remittance incomes have more than offset income earning opportunities lost in agriculture due to mechanization. Fourth, landownership patterns, gender relations, and the extent of agricultural commercialization all appear largely unaffected by these changes. Highlights • We find evidence of rapid transformation in Myanmar's Dry Zone over the past decade. • Agriculture has mechanized rapidly, causing a decline in demand for agricultural labour. • Remittances and rising rural wages have more than offset labour incomes forgone. • The position of landless and land-poor households is improving relative to farm households. • Patterns of landholdings and gender relations appear relatively unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Trust among stakeholders is an important outcome in a co-innovation process. • In practice, co-innovation is context specific, thus requiring an adaptive mind-set. • A staged approach allows better integration of flexibility and adaptability in co-innovation projects. • Co-innovation processes are ideally suited for conditions where management of a public good resource is in discussion. Abstract Uptake of irrigation scheduling tools by New Zealand (NZ) farmers has remained static for many years and some researchers consider the use of linear, tech-transfer approaches as the main reason for this. To understand the controls and drivers that influence the uptake of these tools and to evaluate the effectiveness of a co-innovation approach in improving their (tools) uptake, a team of biophysical (hydrologists) and social researchers undertook a pilot study in an irrigation scheme in the South Island of NZ. Co-innovation offers a multi-directional, multi-level, multi-actor approach, in which input from stakeholders is valued in every part of the process, from problem definition to solution adoption. In this study, we focused on the adaptive aspect of co-innovation that allows stakeholders to periodically review their actions and respond to it in a way that is inclusive others' views and reflective of feedback received. The pilot study activities were analysed retrospectively to develop a systemic view to the implementation of a co-innovation-based multi-stakeholder hydrology project. While implementing a co-innovation approach, five chronologically-distinct yet overlapping phases emerged in the project: 1. concept development , where the hydrologists came up with the research idea and seed concept; 2. trust building , where researchers (hydrologists and social) interacted with key on-farm stakeholders in developing and implementing the research idea into a pilot field study; 3. knowledge synthesis, where researchers collected on-farm biophysical and behavioural data to record practice change; 4. extended outreach, where stakeholders, including researchers, devised pathways to sustain the lessons learned and practices changed, and disseminated the learnings to the wider irrigation community; and 5. project legacy, where the researchers, after the development of the seed concept into a practice change, evolved an exit strategy. Apart from core research activities, such as data collection on irrigation water use and changes in irrigation scheduling practices, each one of the five phases included actions that were unique to that phase as well as to achieving the wider pilot study goal of improving water use efficiency. This paper discusses the learnings from these phases, including insights, and key identifiers and indicators of pilot study progression during each phase, which may serve as an example to other biophysical studies that propose to employ co-innovation-based multi stakeholder approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multitude of approaches and modalities are available for delivering useful information to rural communities. However, evidence regarding the information efficiency of these modalities is limited, as are studies identifying the mechanisms of potential information loss in the agricultural extension system. In this paper, we assess information efficiency along the knowledge transmission chain from researchers to agricultural extension agents (EAs) to lead farmers (LFs) to other farmers. By asking the same set of questions about a fairly well known technology, pit planting, we construct a measure of knowledge at each node of the knowledge transmission chain. Evidence shows that the majority of information loss happens at the researcher-to-EA link and the EA-to-LF link, and that the loss is potentially caused by teaching failures or by selective attention and learning among both the EAs and the LFs concerning all important details of the technology. Results highlight the need for greater emphasis during training and learning on key dimensions of technology packages that are commonly ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a direct link between farmers and manufacturers of technologies, the characteristics and activities of input suppliers can be expected to play an important role in the generation and diffusion of innovations in agricultural systems. While the agricultural innovation systems (AIS) literature recognises the importance of input suppliers, there are few studies from the Global South assessing the nature and implications of their activities. The aim of this paper is to improve the understanding of how input suppliers can influence the functioning and development of AIS in the Global South. We first adapt the 'functions of innovation systems' framework to examine the role of these private-sector actors in an AIS, identifying three activity categories, through which input suppliers can influence the AIS: market creation for technological innovations, the creation and dissemination of knowledge, and influence on technology priorities. We then apply the framework to a case study of the small-scale irrigation sector in Kenya. The case study documents the emergence of a new cohort of irrigation-equipment suppliers during the period of strong growth in the market for small-scale irrigation technologies since 2000, and examines how they affect the small-scale irrigation agricultural innovation system (SIAIS). We find that Kenyan irrigation-input suppliers perform important activities and roles in the SIAIS aside input supply, notably provision of advisory services, improvement of the supply chain for irrigation technologies, introduction and adaptations of new types of irrigation equipment, and facilitation of access to farm credit. Irrigation-input suppliers in Kenya thus play an important role in the functionality of the SIAIS, particularly regarding knowledge creation and dissemination. The novelty of the paper lies in its empirical assessment of input suppliers in the small-scale irrigation sector and its application of the functions framework. The paper shows that input suppliers can become effective agents of knowledge diffusion once the market has reached a sufficient size and documents how they contributed to knowledge development as they develop, adapt and test specific irrigation equipment. The paper also emphasises that input suppliers can form a key link between national AIS and foreign companies, as they bring in foreign expertise (know-how) to the market along with agricultural technologies. We therefore suggest that policy interventions in support of smallholder irrigation should seek leverage from the growth and capacities of input suppliers as a complement to public research and extension. [Display omitted] • Input suppliers are important actors in agricultural innovation systems (AIS). • We apply a 'functions' approach to study how input suppliers influence AIS. • We present a case on suppliers of small-scale irrigation technologies in Kenya. • Input suppliers influenced several functions in Kenya's small-scale irrigation AIS. • The 'functions' approach enabled an in-depth analysis of input suppliers in AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global challenges of today are many, and one of the most concerning aspects relates to food production for an increasing global population. The sustainability of doing 'more of the same thing' is being increasingly called into question. Several sustainable business model frameworks have been presented in recent years to address these challenges, but our knowledge is limited about the change processes of the agricultural sector. This paper aims to increase our understanding of how sustainable business models have developed in the agricultural sector in Sweden. It maps eight archetypes of sustainable business models, clustered in three groups, with a focus on the technological, social, and organisational innovation components at agri-food companies. The study takes a quantitative, methodological approach, conducting a telephone survey with owners and managers of 1143 agri-food companies in Sweden, and using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the analysis. The paper provides empirical evidence on the various options for sustainable business models that Swedish agri-food companies use. No major differences were found with respect to technical or social innovation components in the three regions: East, south, and north Sweden. However, significant differences were found between the regions with respect to the organisational innovation component. The organisational innovation component is based on two sustainable business model archetypes, namely, repurpose for society/environment and develop scale up solutions. North Sweden had a higher degree of organisational innovation than both south and east Sweden. The reason for this could be the larger environmental, economic, and organizational challenges in north Sweden compared to the rest of the country, which makes the need for innovation stronger. The paper also suggests new areas for researchers and practical avenues for stakeholders in the agricultural sector (and other industries) to translate social and environmental value creation into economic profit and competitive advantage. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use sustainable business model archetypes in an empirical setting in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers studying agriculture and researchers studying food share common interests in working on the sustainability of agrifood systems. Yet, they form two distinct scientific communities, which often struggle to work together due to both scientific specialization and existing disconnections between agriculture and food production standards. However, there is today a crucial need for research to generate new knowledge and innovations to meet the numerous challenges towards sustainable agrifood systems. This paper therefore presents how two scientific communities (those of agriculture and food) collectively explored cross-community research topics, which could foster coupled innovation in agrifood systems. Two innovative design methods - KCP and matching-building – were combined to propose a dedicated design process fostering this collective exploration of cross-community research topics. Twenty cross-community priority research topics were thus proposed to address various sustainability challenges. These topics were designed to become common purposes for future research collaborations aiming to produce relevant knowledge to open new avenues for coupled innovation towards more sustainable agrifood systems. The originality of the 20 topics was discussed, in comparison with 25 international papers highlighting research priorities regarding food systems. The originality of the paper is thus twofold: the article details the original dedicated design method used to build cross-community research topics, and presents the 20 research topics designed using this method. [Display omitted] • Designing coupled innovations is required to support the agrifood transition. • Addressing coupled innovation requires the exploration of priority research topics. • An original method was developed to enhance cross-community research topic emergence. • Our original method relies on the combination of two innovative design processes. • Twenty research topics crossing agriculture and food communities were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]