The innovation revolution in agriculture : a roadmap to value creation

Abstract

Innovation is the source of progress. Without it, livelihoods contract and prosperity declines. In medicine, innovation leads to disease prevention and cures. In the farming and food sectors, innovation increases production, improves post-harvest handling, as well as reduces the environmental footprint to deliver greater value to consumers. Innovation in these sectors is needed more than ever. More than 800 million people are chronically undernourished worldwide, while two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Water, land and forests are under increasing pressure with changing weather and climate patterns negatively impacting agriculture. Many of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend on farming and natural resources for employment and livelihoods. Innovation is needed, but what constitutes innovation in this field? How does it arise, and what can be done to achieve more of it? What motivates users to adopt or reject innovation, and how can it be brought to bear on specific challenges, especially at scale? These questions are the subject of this timely book: The Innovation revolution in agriculture – A roadmap to value creation by Dr. Hugo Campos and his coauthors. This book defines innovation as “significant, positive change” that innovators work for and hope to achieve. Examples include increases in crop yields due to better management and improved seeds. Productivity growth underpins food and nutrition security, poverty reduction, and the conservation of natural resources. It arises when farmers adopt improved technologies and practices developed by R&D efforts, often paid for by governments or private investors. Adoption is the “prize.” There is no market for innovations without user adoption nor any scope for impact or investor reward. Understanding adoption is therefore key.