Farmer First Revisited

In the context of current complex and urgent needs for agricultural innovation, effective research and development systems and efficient adaptation methods are required in both advanced and developing economies. This book, published twenty years after the original ‘Farmer First’ reviewed experiences offarmer-led innovation in agricultural research and development and detailed some practical examples of agricultural innovation by farmers as innovators, especially in developing countries. The authors engage with the concept of innovation systems, which provide an important contribution to innovation capabilities when they support farmers’ participation, knowledge sharing and learning, and link to networks with external organizations. At the same time, the book emphasizes the continuing importance of power dynamics in shaping and constraining opportunities for farmer-led innovation, as evidenced by experiences across the world.