Location : ICRISAT
Date : 2024-11-20 08:00:00
Promoting food security, climate resilience and sustainable livelihood systems within resource-constrained smallholder farming systems is a major priority for governments, development partners, and the Research and Development institutions globally.
Data-driven decision making considering the local resources, context, and markets enables policymakers and stakeholders to promote context-specific innovations and technologies that support the development of resilient and inclusive farming systems and value chains. Despite the efforts to introduce climate-resilient innovations and technologies, ensuring their widespread adoption and integration remains a significant challenge for various stakeholders.
Numerous improved technologies and practices are being suggested to enhance the performance of complex multi-objective smallholder farming systems. However, these systems are highly heterogeneous and need differentiated interventions and strategies. To achieve transformation towards resilient, profitable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable farm and food systems, it is essential to consider the economic, social, environmental sustainability, as well as human wellbeing dimensions of the smallholder farming systems. Additionally, the inability of the farmers, extension actors, and policymakers to fully visualize the potential impact of different agricultural development strategies on these heterogenous farming systems hinders decisions on investments. This in turn limits progress towards increasing food production, farm profitability and other related objectives over both the short and long-time horizon. An innovations systems approach can help create the necessary conditions to drive demand for technologies, innovations, while also facilitating the use of knowledge to bring about such changes.
An important component of innovation systems thinking is that innovations most often emerge from systems of actors collaborating and communicating. Key to facilitating this dialogue is the use of systems analysis using computer-based simulation tools. In the context of smallholder resource poor agriculture, common and widely applied tools include climate based- crop risk management tools, household bio-economic models’ approach (e.g. optimization, cash-flow budgeting), coupled farm-region-national system dynamic models (e.g. value chain model), whole farm dynamic models, multi-dimensional sustainability assessment tool and integrated assessments to develop climate resilient farm and food systems. These tools can be instrumental in promoting climate-resilient farm and food systems.
The focus of this two-week hands-on training program is on how these tools and approaches are being applied in research for development, particularly in identifying market-led opportunities and developing climate-resilient action plans. Participants will receive practical training on Systems modelling and integrated assessment tools supporting decision making on investments, and technology and enterprise choices across agricultural value chains and food system by various stakeholders including policy makers.
Participants can be from the National Agricultural Research and Extension System, Government departments such as the department of agriculture, rural development, and animal husbandry, NGOs engaged in agriculture, people from industries related to agriculture, and government policy makers.
Experiential learning and two field visits
30- 35
Prospective applicants from any country except India can be able to apply for the course on the website of ITEC, Govt of India.
ITEC: Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation
Note: The potential candidate after filling the form online, may need to submit copy of the filled application to Indian Embassy/consulate in their country for funding approval.
Dr Shalander Kumar
Principal Scientist I - Genomics,Pre Breeding and Bioinformatics
Accelerated Crop Improvement
Shalander.Kumar@icrisat.org
Padmaja Ravula
Deputy Global Research Program Director
Enabling Systems Transformation
Cluster Leader: Markets, Institutions and Policies
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Padmaja.ravula@icrisat.org
The application can be accessed from the following link: ITEC: Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation
