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

and information transfer. Facilitation can help to build working relationships, involving partners
in private–public alliances that will stimulate innovation.
The implications for accelerating agricultural development in SSA are that:
• Support for agricultural research requires increased focus on the interface with the rest of
the sector and in particular developing links from the beginning in a way that encourages
interactions between public, private and civil society organisations. This necessitates
support for service providers who are able to facilitate engagement between partners to
create the trust, cooperation and common vision required for innovation.
• Support should be provided to encourage institutional cooperation, joint planning,
implementation, analysis and learning processes rather than more traditional technologyorientated
research undertaken in isolation from other stakeholders. This requires that
research expertise includes a wide knowledge of markets, agri-business and rural finance
that can compliment specialist technical expertise.
• IAR4D and innovation systems approaches are complementary to the AU and NEPAD’s
CAADP country process. An IP combines all the elements of the four CAADP pillars that
can enable faster innovation and agricultural development. FARA should consider offering
to provide a facilitating role in promoting the advances made by the use of IAR4D within
CAADP Pillar 4, thereby helping country CAADP processes to institutionalise the use of
innovation systems approaches.
104 Agricultural Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa