Background:
The concepts of “Innovation” and “Innovation Systems” are increasingly being used in agricultural and rural development discourses. This is in response to the limitations of linear models of knowledge and technology transfer. Stimulating innovation and improving the efficiency of innovation systems is increasingly recognized as a policy priority but the complexity of multi-stakeholder processes of knowledge generation and use has led to little understanding of what policies and approaches work effectively under what conditions, and how to implement these in concrete terms.
In February 2010, KARI jointly with six other organizations embarked on a thirty months project which seeks to capture the lessons learnt about implementing multi-stakeholder approaches to innovation development, paying explicit attention to local knowledge (LK) in the process. A major output of the project will be a better understanding of the nature, performance and impact of innovation systems and of the multi-stakeholder processes of knowledge creation, transfer and use that sustain innovation.

Already 18 innovation system cases have been identified by the KARI implementing team from KARI Mtwapa, Katumani, Kakamega, Embu and Perkerra. For more information read http://www.jolisaa.net/project

By Geoffrey Kamau