Abstract
Research and development approaches that incorporate elements of collective action, agricultural innovation systems, and value-chain development (VCD) are increasingly popular, but there has been little systematic analysis of their use and results. In this paper, we analyze experiences with a participatory approach for stimulating inclusive innovation in agricultural value chains, known as the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA). Guided by a conceptual framework for analyzing PMCA interventions, we examine cases where the PMCA was applied in value chains for aquaculture, coffee, organic and typical regional products, potatoes and vegetables in Albania, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia, Nepal, Peru and Uganda. We find that the uses and results of the PMCA were strongly influenced by attributes of the external environment, the targeted value chain and the intervention in which the PMCA was applied. The PMCA has generally produced the most significant results where: (a) the agricultural and policy environment favored agricultural innovation and VCD; (b) the value chain offered significant potential for value addition or cost reduction; and (c) the PMCA was implemented with a high degree of fidelity to its basic principles in the context of a broader development effort. The active involvement of diverse stakeholders – not only smallholder producers but entrepreneurs along the value chain and relevant service providers – was crucial for stimulating innovation. Because innovation processes are complex and emergent in nature, local teams needed to develop flexible implementation plans and procedures that were adjusted over time in response to emerging opportunities and results. And because the PMCA requires the active engagement of value-chain actors and service providers with diverse, sometimes conflicting, interests, effective facilitation was crucial to the success of PMCA interventions. We found significant benefits of the PMCA frequently emerged long after the intervention had been implemented. This finding highlights the value of assessing interventions that support inclusive innovation several years after project funding ends. Notwithstanding the demonstrated utility of the PMCA in stimulating inclusive innovation in agricultural value chains, the approach has only achieved limited use beyond its original developers. This finding also reflects the both the lack of institutional support and an effective scaling strategy for the PMCA and the enduring challenges to mainstreaming participatory systems approaches in agricultural research and development organizations.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been considerable experimentation with research and development (R&D) approaches that draw on the fields of collective action, agricultural innovation systems (AIS), and value-chain development (VCD)
Guided by a conceptual framework for analyzing Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) interventions, we examine cases where the PMCA was applied in value chains for aquaculture, coffee, organic and typical regional products, potatoes and vegetables in Albania, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia, Nepal, Peru and Uganda
There has been considerable experimentation with research and development (R&D) approaches that draw on the fields of collective action, agricultural innovation systems (AIS), and value-chain development (VCD)
Summary
There has been considerable experimentation with research and development (R&D) approaches that draw on the fields of collective action, agricultural innovation systems (AIS), and value-chain development (VCD). In the early 2000s, with support from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the International Potato Center’s Papa Andina regional program developed the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) as a novel use of collective action that engaged smallholder farmers, market agents, researchers and other service providers in innovation processes in agricultural value chains (Devaux et al, 2009). Our analysis examines the origins of the approach, how it has been applied in different settings, and how context and implementation have influenced the results obtained in each setting. Based on this analysis, we formulate lessons for improving future research and development efforts to promote inclusive innovation in agricultural value chains. Increased recognition of the limitations of mainstream R&D approaches has stimulated new thinking on innovation processes, on the importance of agricultural value-chains, and on the roles of collective action in innovation and VCD
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have