Synergy needed for successful technology transfer

Dr. Ir. Haryono, Director General of the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD), opened the Policy Dialogue on behalf of H.E. Dr. Rusman Heriawan, Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia.

 “The lives of smallholder farmers who grow agriculture products can be improved if innovative agriculture technologies are tailored to their needs and executed collectively,” highlighted Dr. Haryono. In this view, establishing synergy among various stakeholders conditions the success of technology transfer.

This dialogue is therefore an opportunity to “take the grave nature of this situation and come up with new ideas on technology transfer to serve as an incentive in enhancing the productivity of smallholder farmers,” added Dr. Haryono.

In a context where traditional farming is losing its comparative advantage as the Asia-Pacific economy is experiencing escalating competition for resources, environmental changes and increased international trade, “there is a great need to develop a new vision for future farming activities in order to strategically position investment, technology delivery and design policy reforms,” Dr. Haryono concluded.

Reported by: Annick SCHUBERT, Annâdya Project Manager, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic,  annick.schubert@gmail.com

Agricultural innovation is a pillar for sustainable agriculture

 “Agricultural innovation is one important pillar for ensuring sustainable agriculture.” This was the message delivered by Mr. Shun-ichi Murata, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in his welcome statement during the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Technology Transfer for Smallholder Farmers, held in Bogor, Indonesia, 13 February 2013.

Further he stated that without innovation, agricultural productivity will continue to decline due to low fertility and degraded soils. Given that arable land is increasingly taken out of production for industrial purposes, the pressure on food systems to produce safe and affordable food for all is growing tremendously and requires an urgent paradigm shift in our thinking and actions.

Millions of smallholder farmers living in Asia and the Pacific depend on agricultural land as the main or only source of their livelihoods. Efforts to help them meet this challenge need to address the two bottom lines of agricultural research: how to innovate without reinventing the wheel and how to ensure that this knowledge benefits smallholder farmers.

Mr. Murata noted that science and technology are fundamental in this process. The world needs farmers but it also needs improved techniques to feed the world’s growing population. Technology advancement in agriculture also requires active support from governments. Policymakers, extension workers, researchers, the private sector and smallholder farmers in their many different roles – as producers, sellers, buyers and consumers – can all play an important part in addressing today’s agricultural concerns.

 “We believe that by working in partnership we can ensure that the right tools and policies are scaled up and will be applied to benefit smallholders and others in the value chain,”Mr. Murata said in his closing.  

Nowadays, agriculture has to be more appealing to youth. Introducing farm mechanization and adopting agricultural innovations that makes land and labor more productive and agricultural businesses more profitable can provide such opportunities for young people.

Coming up - High-Level Policy Dialogue on Technology Transfer for Smallholders

Technology Transfer for Smallholder Farmers, the high level policy dialogue organized by the Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture  CAPSA – in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the Government of Indonesia, will take place on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 in Bogor, Indonesia. The initiative is focused on promoting discussion between senior officials from agricultural ministries, national agricultural research centres and non-governmental organizations from the Asia-Pacific Region. Specifically, it will provide options for policymakers to facilitate and enhance the transfer of sustainable agricultural technologies to smallholder farmers and support investments that improve food security, reduce poverty and preserve the environment.

Effective agricultural technology transfer that supports adaptation of existing innovations and farmer adoption is a pathway for increasing agricultural productivity to allow smallholder farmers to escape poverty. Yet, while international and national research organizations have made great strides in developing innovations in agriculture, the transfer, adaptation and adoption of technologies by smallholders continues to be less successful. Addressing these challenges and enhancing technology transfer is an area of focus for CAPSA, the EU and the Government of Indonesia and this will be the key topic of the event.

Second Network Meeting of SATNET Asia is approaching

The preparation for the Second Network Meeting of SATNET Asia to take place on Tuesday, 12 February 2013 in Bogor, Indonesia is in full speed. The meeting will gather representatives from over 25 organizations dealing with capacity development, agricultural extension, and research for sustainable agriculture and trade facilitation in South and Southeast Asia in order to discuss the analytical work conducted by the project, the progress made in the implementation of activities, and agree on the work plan for the upcoming year. The meeting is pivotal for SATNET Asia to ensure its continued growth and define concrete capacity-building activities to improve food security and nutrition of the poorest and most vulnerable people in South and Southeast Asia.