Previous Return to table of contents   |   Search Reports Next
« Back to weltagrarbericht.de

90 | Latin America and the Caribbean Report

Box 2-3. Civil society's role in supporting the AKST System-the case of the Produce Foundations, Mexico

According to a recent assessment (Ekboir et al. 2006), the Produce Foundations have been a highly significant institutional innovation in Mexico. In their ten-year history, the Produce Foundations have promoted links between the federal and state political authorities, on the one hand, and rural production sectors on the other, to support the transformation of public research organizations and influence the design and implementation of agricultural policies, including scientific, technological, and innovation policies for the rural milieu. New channels of interaction have also opened up between federal and state authorities, on the one hand, and groups of commercial agricultural producers on the other.

          Mostly, these impacts did not originate in the activities for which the Foundations were established-that is, administering competitive funds for agricultural research and extension- but on actions the Foundations themselves started to engage in as they evolved.

          The growth of the Foundations was made possible by the presence of a group of highly motivated and innovative individuals (Ekboir et al. 2006). They did not work only for the Foundations but also for the federal government and several state governments. Acknowledging the central role of such individuals is crucial for the design of policies and programs. Frequently a great deal of attention is paid to building organizations and regulations, while their effectiveness often depends on the people who are involved in the administration and operation of those organizations (Ekboir et al. 2006).

          The Foundations have had a significant impact because they have developed effective learning mechanisms. Initially, research priorities and the selection of projects to be financed were determined in an ad hoc manner. Currently, the Foundations use structured methods to identify priorities and have adopted a clear division of tasks between the state levels, on the one hand, and regional and national levels on the other. They have also established new contractual mechanisms to transfer resources to researchers and providers of agricultural services.

          By contrast, aspects related to extension have not received sufficient attention and until now remain one of the weaker aspects of the Foundations' work. For this reason, extension services are another area of opportunity. According to Ekboir et al., 2006, the future recognition of the Produce Foundations will largely depend on their capacity to continue offering valuable elements for the consolidation of the agricultural innovation system and for the transformation of agricultural research organizations into more efficient and effective institutions in generating or identifying products and services to support innovation in the production processes.

          Diversifying their funding sources and encouraging increased contributions of resources from state governments and from the users themselves for innovation projects of mutual interest is another short-term challenge facing the Produce Foundations.

 

for society as a whole but mainly for the poorest sectors. Due to their implications, other efforts regarding the AKST system agenda, such as the development of new agricultural products with high export value, will have to be financed mainly by the private sector. However, government support should not ruled out, given the interest by any country in improving its balance of trade.

          A wide range of issues, such as postharvest handling, food safety, nutraceuticals, and organic products, also form part of society's new and growing demands. For this reason, it is said that today's AKST system agenda is driven more by consumers than producers.

          Such considerations, together with a growing environmental awareness, means that some sectors of society expect AKST institutions to address and reconcile seemingly conflicting objectives, like productivity and environmental sustainability (Moncada and Muñoz, 1999).

          Countries also face the challenge of responding to subregional AKST agendas (in Central America, the Caribbean, the Southern Cone, and the Andean countries) that are directed at generating knowledge and technological innovations and providing relevant subregional public goods for local application in fields such as:
•   Climate change
•   Diseases
•   Biodiversity
•   Water availability and quality
•   Land degradation
•   Management of persistent organic residues
•   Air pollution

Traditional government institutions have little capacity to meet such a broad array of demands. As a result, others have begun to emerge. They specialize in specific areas, such as postharvest handling, food quality and safety, and certain promising cutting-edge fields such as biotechnology and genetic engineering.

          We are just beginning to witness the emergence of institutions in a front-line scientific field-nanotechnology. As what might be considered an unprecedented preventive action, governments, industry and the world's research organizations have started to study ways to take advantage of its potential benefits while minimizing its potential risks. However, despite commitments to that effect, many opportunities have been missed to establish cooperative research programs.

          The following question, however, remains unanswered: who will finance research projects aimed at using the potential of nanotechnology in areas of interest to the poor, such as health, nutrition, or energy?

          Reducing poverty has been a secondary concern for the AKST system agenda in LAC. The primary goal has been to boost productivity in order to increase the food supply and reduce food prices. Implementing a research agenda aimed at helping the poor has been discussed by Hazell and Haddad (2001). More recently, in 2005, the International Food Policy Research Institute organized a meeting to explore poverty-related issues that might be of interest for public-private financing of pro-poor research projects.

          Particularly noteworthy are certain research initiatives regarding the poorest social groups (see Box 2-4). The ini-

Previous Return to table of contents   |   Search Reports Next
« Back to weltagrarbericht.de