Agricultural Systems Special Issue Published: 17 Papers on Enabling Inclusive Innovation in Agriculture and Food Systems

Learn more about the Special Issue here.

Inclusive innovation remains a complex and contentious topic, characterized by inherent ambiguity. In our editorial, which introduces a special issue of Agricultural Systems dedicated to this topic, we introduce 17 papers ranging from emerging theories to those grappling with the messy realities when trying to put such theories into practice.

Despite its importance, concrete applications of inclusive innovation within agriculture and food systems are still poorly documented and understood. This was highlighted by the Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) in 2021, following its review of proposals for the new CGIAR pooled funding research Initiatives. The ISDC’s examination underscored several pivotal questions, including:

• How will this research lead to innovations?
• How will these innovations lead to the desired impact at scale?
• What type of impact is anticipated, and will this impact be just, socially appropriate, environmentally and economically sustainable?
• What do we even mean by “innovation” beyond the purely technological advances?
• Who are the partners who must be involved in the research and development process?
• Have they been included and if so, in what capacity?
• What accounts for inclusiveness and why is this important?
• How was the research conceptualized and who was involved in the design process?