Use of the Triple Helix model of innovation to explore the factors conditioning the effectiveness of a framework for monitoring the prevalence and impact of the fall armyworm in Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper introduces a suite of technical tools developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) which aim to monitor the prevalence and impact of a new invasive insect pest in Africa – Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The roll-out of the tools is still at an early phase, and further studies will be necessary to evaluate the outcomes. The specific content of this paper will be the description of the four tools – which together make up a monitoring framework –, followed by an analysis of the factors determining the likely future effectiveness of the tools and the framework according to innovation theory. More specifically, the Triple Helix Model of innovation will be evaluated and used to develop specific research questions, the answers to which will likely determine the future effectiveness of the FAW monitoring framework and its tools. It will emerge that a combination of institutional, technological and social factors will condition the effectiveness and sustainability of the suite of innovative monitoring tools developed. Furthermore, the Triple Helix model itself is shown to have a crucial limitation in this case due to the fact that it does not explicitly consider the role of civil society in the effective innovation process.