Innovation for development: The Papa Andina experience

Abstract

This book brings together 25 papers on different aspects of Papa Andina – a partnership program hosted by the International Potato Center (Centro Internacional de la Papa, CIP1 ), which is an international agricultural research center affiliated to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).2 Established in 1998 and operating until the middle of 2011, Papa Andina worked to reduce rural poverty in the Andean highlands of South America by fostering innovation and market development with potatoes, one of the most important crops of Andean small farmers. Until recently, agricultural research was often viewed as the main driver of technological change and agricultural development. However, it is now generally understood that research, while often essential, is only one among many sources of technological change (Biggs, 1990; Hall, 2009). For agricultural research to benefit the rural poor, it needs to be linked to practical improvements in value chains that are of importance to small farmers. In this context, Papa Andina focused on ‘agricultural research for development’. This contrasts with more basic or strategic research that aims to produce usable results over longer periods of time, and also with development activities that aim to produce practical results in the very short term. Papa Andina prided itself on being a learning organization. With encouragement and support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), it invested considerable time and effort in documenting and drawing lessons from its experience, and using these lessons to improve its future work. Most of the documentation on this partnership program was prepared by researchers and development professionals in the Andes, in the Spanish language. Nevertheless, more than 30 English-language publications have also been prepared on various aspects of Papa Andina’s work. The 25 papers included in this book have been previously published in professional journals, newsletters, or other publication series, or were presented at international conferences. 3 They document the development of Papa Andina from its inception in 1998 until the completion of its third and final phase in 2011. During this period, Papa Andina evolved from an applied regional research project into a regional partnership program working to stimulate pro-poor innovation in market chains for Andean potato products. 1