Contributions

CoA 2.3 Systems analysis and learning for at-scale innovation

CoA2.3 has three linked roles. The first is to undertake targeted diagnosis of agri-food system constraints associated with opportunities identified in CoA2.1 and to prioritize interventions and actions. The rationale of this diagnostic analysis is that by identifying wider agri-food systems bottlenecks and missing partnerships and capacities associated with CoA 2.1 opportunities, interventions can be targeted that can trigger a cascade of system changes that will not only help scale CoA 2.1 interventions, but also create the capacities and incentives for further investment by the public and private sectors in emerging GLDC opportunities. Underpinning this rationale is pioneering multi-level approaches¹⁷⁷ and multi-stakeholder engagement and scaling research¹⁷⁸.

Secondly, the at-scale incubation of opportunities in CoA 2.1 will provide the opportunity for CoA 2.3 to develop lessons about how agri-food systems change can be catalyzed. Research methods for this include case studies and comparative analyses with feedback loops into the design and adaptation of CoA 2.1 interventions. Key research questions include:

What needs to change in order for a localized opportunity to realize at-scale impacts?

What suite of tools, interventions, capacities and processes are involved in realizing these opportunities in different contexts? and

What contextual factors (policies, institutions and markets) enable or block the scaling process?

How can stakeholders identify critical change triggers in agri-food systems and what are the triggers and tipping points for bringing about these changes?

The third role of this CoA is evaluation and impact assessments of CoA 2.1 interventions to better quantify and understand the intended and unintended consequences of agri-food system changes that the Flagship is catalyzing. This will be undertaken in collaboration with FP1 and CRP-PIM.

Cluster outputs are:

A critical assessment of agri-food systems conditions that constrain or enable the incubation of selected opportunities in dryland agroecologies and the identification of triggers and tipping points associated with wider agri-food system change.

Identification of opportunities and mechanisms that enhance the role of women and youth in dryland value chains.

A set of lessons and strategic guidelines on the suite of tools, interventions, capacities and processes involved in realizing dryland crop utilization opportunities in different contexts and that catalyze agri-food system innovation.

Evaluation and impact assessment of CoA2.1 interventions to quantify actual and predicted intended and unintended consequences on poverty reduction, equitable access to value chain opportunities, and nutritional security.

FP2.7 Partnerships

The basis of FP2 is that it is working on the direct interface of research application and scaling. Therefore it strongly depends on partnerships with organizations who have the mandate and the capacity to implement technological and institutional innovations. FP2 will collaborate with academic, public, private, civil society and international development organizations which are identified case by case on the basis of rigorous stakeholder analyses. Identified partners are listed in Table 7.

The Flagship is entering a rather new field of agri-food system R4D within the CGIAR. Strong partnerships are essential for ensuring highest quality and significance of research and its impacts. It has to be seen in this context that the Flagship is led by CSIRO which has an outstanding record of developing agri-food system innovations and scaling tools¹⁷⁹. Critical is further connections to CRP-PIM in the field of developing policy, market and cooperative agri-food system innovations. CRP-PIM also contributes strong diagnostic experience. Latest ICRISAT recruitments as well as the establishment of the Digital Agriculture Theme and experience of its AIP strengthens expertise in developing scaling tools. The development of technical solutions under CoA2.2 will be done in intensive collaboration with FP3, FP4 and FP5 as well as the other AFS CRPs.