To feed a growing population and meet the challenge of climate change, agricultural production must intensify in a sustainable way, and innovation is key to make that happen. A sustainable intensification of agriculture is particularly needed in the tropics, where FAO is involved in the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP).
Initiated by the G20 and generously supported by the European Union, TAP focuses on the development of national capacities for agricultural innovation in the tropics, where most of the developing countries are located and the capacity gap is especially wide. By helping to bridge the capacity gap, TAP aims to pave the way for agricultural innovations that meet the demands of its principal users – small farmers, small and medium-sized agribusinesses and consumers.
To achieve these goals, TAP has embraced the so-called Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) perspective, acting as a multilateral dynamic facilitation mechanism that enables better coherence and greater impact of Capacity Development (CD) interventions in AIS.
Recently, Smart Food joined TAP in support of agricultural innovation systems. As partner of TAP, SmartFood plans to contribute with strong cross sector communication activities that can also be leveraged for knowledge sharing. Key approaches of SmartFood in line with the TAP include fostering networks and South-South collaborations in Africa and Asia; exchanging knowledge and information; advocating and fostering cross sector collaborations; and focusing on advocacy through to scientific technical evidence.
See the full list TAP of partners here
