Within the framework of the project “Strengthening Community Resilience to Change: Combining Local Innovative Capacity with Scientific Research” (CLIC–SR) funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Prolinnova–Ethiopia (PE) has published a policy brief entitled “Creating a space for local innovation in agriculture”.
This is based on work of PE in promoting local innovation and farmer-led joint research. As a complement to conventional agricultural research and development, PE tries to create space for small-scale farmer innovators in Ethiopia to become active members in multi-stakeholder innovation processes. Though CLIC–SR, a group of research and development actors in the country has been able to learn more about the innovative responses of farmers to important local changes they have perceived. The project is being carried out in the Axum area in Tigray Region by the NGO Best Practice Association and in Enebse Sar Mider in Amhara Region by the Alemberhan Self-Help Community-Based Development Association. At national level, CLIC–SR is being coordinated the Poverty Action Network in Ethiopia (PANE). The policy brief describes the work of PE in facilitating participatory innovation development and give some examples of how innovative farmers have responded to change. It points to policy changes needed to systematically recognise the creativity of local people in the face of changes in climate, policy, institutions, knowledge, technology and markets.
