Key Programmes

Towards Strengthened Research and Innovations for Sustainable Agricultural Development
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Key Programmes admin_apaari August 16, 2022

1. Knowledge Management

Combined with partnership and networking, capacity development and advocacy, knowledge management can better facilitate engagement and collaboration that contribute to improved scaling up and out of successful agricultural practices, enhanced agricultural investment, and a higher level of trust among stakeholders.

Given its wide network and facilitative expertise, APAARI has strategically positioned itself to use knowledge management as an overarching programme to strengthen agri-food research and innovation systems.

Through collective actions, APAARI plays a critical role in informing its partners and other stakeholders about the strategic investments, policies and programmes that can develop the regional knowledge base as an essential foundation for sustainable transformation of agriculture and agri-food systems.

Strategy:

  • Promote processes for knowledge sharing, learning and collaboration between primary stakeholders
  • Promote tools for enhanced knowledge sharing, learning and collaboration
  • Enhance knowledge sharing and engagement to enable faster technology, innovation and policy development
  • Develop skills and capacity of stakeholders in knowledge management
  • Improve scientific data management to make it available for analysis and knowledge creation
APAARI members and partners will implement these strategies, for example, by coordinating and facilitating face-to-face and online interactions; facilitating participation and engagement of primary stakeholders in regional and global events; sharing information and knowledge for faster scaling up and out of successful innovations; improving communication tools, such as website and social media; linking with knowledge tools of members and partners; training and mentoring of primary stakeholders in improving data collection, analysis and evaluation, and using knowledge tools; supporting projects that improve data collection for research, compilation, management, analysis, evaluation and application, e.g. Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) Project; and disseminating data and analysis.

2. Partnership and Networking

APAARI strives to provide a platform for public, private and civil sectors to connect with national bodies, regional, sub-regional and global fora, to foster partnerships, facilitate networking through face-to-face and online interactions, and bring about large-scale change.

Strategy:

  • Strengthen innovative and strategic partnerships and networking avenues
  • Facilitate technical cooperation in key thematic areas
  • Develop public-private-community partnerships to improve efficiency of adaptation and application of agricultural technologies and innovations
  • Facilitate networking and collaboration between national, sub-regional, regional and global- level organizations within AFS
  • Facilitate networking and collaboration between AFS and regional and global multi- sector development partners to collectively work towards development outcomes
  • Scope and map primary stakeholders to enable better targeting and stronger engagement in collective action in terms of sharing of benefits, efforts and resources
APAARI members and partners will implement these strategies, for example, through initiating and implementing strategic partnerships in technical areas; bringing public, private and community sectors to expert consultations and policy dialogue; facilitating engagement between public, private and community stakeholders, as well as with regional and global partners; promoting partnership with regional and global initiatives; encouraging stakeholders to engage in existing regional and global multi-sector networks; and assessing the contribution of current and potential stakeholders to the collective action.

3. Capacity Development​

APAARI aims at developing technical as well as functional capacities at individual, organizational and institutional levels, in tandem with key concepts and principles set out in the Common Framework on Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (CDAIS) developed and endorsed by the partners of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP). APAARI has the ability to create opportunities for its members, partners and other stakeholders by connecting organizations to each other through learning, to collectively overcome regional challenges.

Strategy:

  • Strengthen institutional arrangements for effective delivery of outcomes from agri-food research and innovation systems
  • Strengthen institutional capacity for the development of agri-food research and innovation system
  • Strengthen databases on human capacity to enhance sharing of talent and learning in the region
  • Enhance organizational capacity for good governance, effective management and delivery of research and innovations
  • Improve capacity of leaders and research managers in monitoring, evaluation and impact pathway analysis
  • Develop and use improved skills and competency in managerial and organizational roles
  • Develop basic skills and competency of researchers in small, island and mountainous countries, and new/emerging organizations
  • Collectively identify and address organizational capacity development needs in knowledge management, partnership and networking, and advocacy
  • Develop technical competency
  • Build capacity of researchers and policy makers in technical areas
  • Improve collaboration in areas requiring regional cooperation
APAARI members and partners will implement these strategies, for example, by conducting meetings, workshops, expert consultations and policy dialogues; using online and face-to-face interactions to create a culture of discussion and communication amongst members, partners and other stakeholders; encouraging and sharing of resources – knowledge, human, technical and financial – to strengthen institutional arrangements, efficiency and effectiveness; creating opportunities for training, scholarships, and exchange programmes; facilitating the sharing of experiences and expertise among primary stakeholders; developing and sharing guidelines; coordinating training; and facilitating participation of disadvantaged stakeholders in training programmes and post-training mentoring.

4. Advocacy​

According to a World Bank report (2018) economic growth originating from agriculture has been shown to be 2-4 times more effective at reducing poverty than growth originating from other sectors. Despite this, in the regions where hunger and poverty are the most widespread today, there are declining or stagnant levels of investment in agriculture. FAO’s estimates from 2013 indicate that an additional investment of USD 83 billion annually will be required globally to close the gap between what low- and middle-income countries have invested each year over the last decade and what is needed by 2050.

APAARI plays a crucial role in advocating for investment in agri-food research and innovation. Advocacy as such, will require collective action at regional and national levels and APAARI is well positioned to lead this coordinated action.

Strategy:

  • Improve understanding of the role of agri-food research and innovations in agri-food systems and socioeconomic development
  • Increase political recognition of the role of agri-food research and innovation as a major driver of socioeconomic development
  • Improve the voice and engagement of disadvantaged stakeholders involved in AFS
  • Strengthen capacity for advocacy
  • Engage social and broadcast media to strengthen advocacy efforts
  • Increase investment in agri-food research and innovations for development of agri-food systems
  • Enhance understanding of agri-food stakeholders and policy makers on the need, scope and return of improved investment
  • Assess the status, trend and priority for investment, and use the data and information for policies and strategies to attract investment and improve decision making
  • Develop advocacy tools and on-going dialogue on promoting investment
  • Assess and develop skills and capacities for mobilizing investment
  • Assess and adopt innovative funding and partnership mechanisms
APAARI members and partners will implement these strategies, for example, through systematic monitoring of the contribution of agri-food research and innovation to socioeconomic development; providing opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning; improving the representation of disadvantaged stakeholders in regional events; facilitating documentation and dissemination of experiences; developing an advocacy toolkit; using social media to promote activities; sensitizing agri-food stakeholders and policy makers on the need, scope and return of improved investment; assessing and using investment data for improved advocacy efforts; developing guidelines; and documenting and sharing experiences with innovative funding and partnership mechanisms.