Browsing by Autor "Jorge Andrade-Piedra"

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Knowledge management for pro-poor innovation: the Papa Andina case
(Taylor & Francis, 2011) Douglas Horton; Graham Thiele; Rolando Oros; Jorge Andrade-Piedra; Claudio Ríos-Velasco; A. Devaux
Papa Andina began as a regional research program focusing on the Andean potato sectors of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, but later shifted its focus to facilitating pro-poor innovation. To accomplish this shift, a number of approaches were developed to foster innovation, by facilitating mutual learning and collective action among individuals and groups with differing, often conflicting, interests. This paper explains why and how Papa Andina shifted its focus from conducting research to facilitating innovation, and describes two approaches that Papa Andina developed to facilitate mutual learning and innovation: the ‘participatory market chain approach’ and ‘horizontal evaluation’. Differing local circumstances and beliefs shaped the work of local teams, and rivalry among the teams stimulated creativity and innovation. Participatory evaluations helped individuals recognize and appreciate differences and build shared knowledge across the teams. After describing the case, the paper discusses the implications for knowledge management and innovation theory, and for the potential use of Papa Andina's approaches in other settings.
Multi-stakeholder platforms for linking small farmers to value chains: evidence from the Andes
(Taylor & Francis, 2011) Graham Thiele; A. Devaux; Iván Reinoso; Hernán Pico; Fabián Montesdeoca; Manuel Pumisacho; Jorge Andrade-Piedra; Claudio Ríos-Velasco; Paola Flores; Raúl Esprella
Value chains linked to urban markets and agro-industry present new opportunities for adding value and raising rural incomes. Small farmers, who produce small volumes, struggle to enter these markets. A lack of trust among value chain actors increases transaction costs and short-circuits innovation. This paper explores how multi-stakeholder platforms have been used to address these problems in potato-based value chains in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. It uses the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to understand how platforms work. Differences in characteristics of the value chains, the participating actors and institutional arrangements have led to the emergence of two types of platforms. The first type brings traders, processors, supermarkets and others together with farmer associations and research and development (R&D) organizations to foster the development of new market opportunities through commercial, institutional and technological innovation. The second type is structured around geographically delimited supply areas, meshing farmers and service providers to address market governance issues in assuring volumes, meeting quality and timeliness constraints and empowering farmers. Evidence from these cases indicates that platforms that bring stakeholders together around value chains can result in new products, processes, norms and behaviours that benefit poor farmers, which could not have been achieved otherwise.
Recent developments for robust potato seed systems through agrobiodiversity and farmers engagement in the Andes
(Elsevier BV, 2024) Israel Navarrete; Fabiola Parra; María Scurrah; Alejandro Bonifacio; Jorge Andrade-Piedra
Ensuring the sustainability of food systems is imperative, and agroecology, with its emphasis on increasing agrobiodiversity within seed systems, emerges as a crucial approach. However, influential groups strongly promote an emphasis on improved varieties and certified seeds. This article aims to increase the portfolio of options of seed systems interventions by presenting the recent developments in enhancing agrobiodiversity to make potato seed systems in the Andes more robust. We reviewed the literature on this subject, and the results show different innovative seed initiatives taking place in the Andes. These initiatives encompass, for example, capacity-building for regional seed custodian networks, fostering stronger ties between rural schools and local agrobiodiversity knowledge, and the implementation of payments for agrobiodiversity conservation services. We expect that this article shows new strategies to strengthen seed systems through the engagement of farmers and the conservation and use of agrobiodiversity.