Abstract
Post-harvest R&D could make a valuable contribution to pro-poor rural development. Evidence suggests, however, that technological innovations need to be supplemented by institutional innovations that encourage broader participation from researchers, entrepreneurs and users of the technology. Furthermore, greater attention will need to be given to the wider institutional context in which innovation takes place. This paper presents the concept of a post-harvest innovation system as a way of exploring these issues and explains the capacity-development view of research that this perspective brings. Examples of post-harvest innovation systems are presented to illustrate the critical importance of partnerships and the influence of the institutional context on the outcome of research. Ways of implementing this in research programmes are then discussed.
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