agrl_innovations_in_ssa.pdf?utm_content=buffercb41d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

creating completely new ones. Such engagement is a necessary and consultative process
that can be time-consuming. It requires the creation of trust between stakeholders, a
willingness to work together, raising awareness of the challenges faced and the creation of
a common vision for the future. Joint activities help to build ownership and accountability
between partners.
• Facilitating or brokering these networks and alliances is a critical role in enabling
innovation and incurs an indispensable cost that is often overlooked. Unfortunately the
competencies required for this role are scarce and in many case investors are unwilling to
fund this crucial role. The market rarely pays for this and support by public funds is often
required as a catalyst.
• The case studies demonstrated different forms of facilitation. Some were initiated by
farmer organisations, others by private companies or NGOs, with most being initiated by
ministries of agriculture or research institutions. This does however indicate that it is not
the type of organisation that is important, but rather the need for facilitation and capacity
building to create effective alliances.
• Facilitation or brokering needs ‘champions’, either individuals or institutions, who
understand the often-complex institutional and regulatory structures, in which alliances
need to be encouraged. This requires individuals with the experience and skills to
coordinate networks of actors from public and private sectors.
• IPs represent a strong approach to empowering participating stakeholders, building
capacities and identifying opportunities able to analyse and alleviate constraints or add
value within a systems chain. However the IP itself needs to be dynamic and evolve so that
it becomes stronger and increasingly relevant.
Creating strong farmer organisations
• Strong farmer organisations at all levels have a critical role to play in increasing smallholder
productivity and livelihoods, improving competitiveness and increasing bargaining power
for markets, services and enhancing the policy environment. It is essential that farmer
organisations are able to speak with an informed and unified voice and are able to engage
with other stakeholders. At the same time they must be representative and able to
communicate with members and other farmers.
Involving the private sector and ensuring market-driven approaches
• Market constraints are successfully dealt with through better understanding and
information about demand and supply, market price and its determinants, and in particular
market linkages. As such the private agribusiness sector needs to be involved not only in
the supply of inputs and purchasing outputs but also in developing market opportunity
and capacity-building initiatives.
• Understanding the positive role the private agribusiness sector can play in facilitating
change at local and national levels is important when considering changes to the enabling
environment. The private sector also needs to be well organised and able to speak with an
informed and unified voice in engaging with the public sector.
102 Agricultural Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa