The paper analyses innovation histories of two agro-mechanical and two seed-based technologies with high and low technological complexity, introduced into simple and complex farming systems in Asia. The main conclusion, which may be seen as a hypothesis for further testing, is that, as technology...
Douthwaite, Boru
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Keatinge, J.D.H.
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Park, J.R.
,
[Why promising technologies fail: the neglected role of user innovation during adoption]
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Why promising technologies fail: the neglected role of user innovation during adoption
Three case studies show that natural resource management (NRM) research aimed at sustainably improving the well-being of African small-holder farmers is complex, and that monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is an essential tool in coping with this complexity, supported by an ‘innovation systems’ view...
Douthwaite, Boru
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Delve, Robert J.
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Ekboir, Javier M.
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Twomlow, Stephen
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[Contending with complexity: The role of evaluation in implementing sustainable natural resource management]
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Contending with complexity: The role of evaluation in implementing sustainable natural resource management
Scores of assessments of the impacts of agricultural research have been carried out over the years. However, few appear to have been used to improve decision making and the effectiveness of research programmes. The Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) Initiative emerged within the Consultativ...
Watts, J.
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Horton, D.
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Douthwaite, Boru
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La Rovere, R
,
Thiele, Graham
,
Prasad, S
,
Staver, Charles
,
[Transforming impact assessment : Beginning the quiet revolution of institutional learning and change]
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Transforming impact assessment : Beginning the quiet revolution of institutional learning and change
Adapting through innovation is one way for rural communities to sustain and improve their livelihoods and environments. Since the 1980s research and development organizations have developed participatory approaches to foster rural innovation. This paper develops a model, called the Learning-to-In...
Douthwaite, Boru
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[Enabling innovation : Technology- and system-level approaches that capitalize on complexity]
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Enabling innovation : Technology- and system-level approaches that capitalize on complexity
This paper asks: What have been the impacts of farmer- or community-led (informal) processes of research and development in agriculture and natural resource management in terms of food security, ecological sustainability, economic empowerment, gender relations, local capacity to innovate and infl...
Waters-Bayer, Ann
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Kristjanson, Patricia M.
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Wettasinha C
,
Veldhuizen, L. van
,
Quiroga, G
,
Swaans, K.
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Douthwaite, Boru
,
[Exploring the impact of farmer-led research supported by civil society organizations]
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Exploring the impact of farmer-led research supported by civil society organizations