In an insightful conversation with Gabriela Quiroga, Senior International Development Expert and former Director of Strategic Partnerships at AgriCord, we explored farmer-led research initiatives and the transformative work of the FO-RI DeSIRA program. At the FAO Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) 2024, Gabriela presented on farmer-led innovation processes in the session “Innovate Locally, Impact Deeply – Exploring How to Support Community-Driven Innovations Successfully.” This experience reinforced several key learnings that are critical to advancing resilient, agroecological food systems through inclusive innovation.
The Importance of Diverse Innovations for Transformative Change
One of Gabriela’s primary takeaways from SIF was that no single type of innovation can meet the complex demands of agroecological transitions. From technology-driven solutions to locally developed methods, all types of innovation play a role in shaping food systems that are collaborative, resilient, and sustainable. Achieving such transformative change requires aligning visions and setting foundational partnerships to enable innovation governance from both the top-down and bottom-up. For Gabriela, this includes ensuring that community-driven approaches are recognized and integrated into broader agrifood system transformations. Only through this balanced and inclusive approach can diverse innovations thrive and support a global shift toward sustainable food systems.
Rural Communities as Key Innovators and Partners
The indispensable role rural communities play in identifying and addressing pressing challenges in agriculture, was another significant insight from various of the innovative initiatives showcased during the session. Communities possess deep contextual knowledge that is crucial for adapting innovations to real-world needs. However, addressing complex social, environmental, and economic challenges also demands strong collaboration. Partnerships between rural communities, research institutions, and support organizations help transform local insights into impactful solutions that can drive broader change. For Gabriela, creating meaningful impact means not only listening to communities’ needs but also envisioning solutions that prioritize healthy, nutritious food access for all in a way that all those involved in the co-innovation process add value and purpose, contributing to the broader impact
Inclusion of All Stakeholders for a Holistic Approach
At SIF, Gabriela mentioned having renewed not only her engagement with meaningful change but also her appreciation to the critical role that everyone—from local public sectors to farmer organizations, start-ups, and civil society organizations—can play in agroecological transitions. SIF showcased how start-ups, with their human-centred designs and social entrepreneurship spirit, bring fresh energy to agri-food systems. However, achieving the scale needed to build resilient systems requires more than just financial investment. Support in forms like collaborative research, capacity-building, and organizational resources is essential to accelerate the creation and scaling of resilient agri-food systems. Gabriela emphasized that the FO-RI program serves as a model in which multiple stakeholders come together, contributing unique strengths from the early stages of co-designing the overall initiative to drive lasting change improving innovations in different value chains through joint experimentation in the fields under the farmer’s leadership with the researchers community and the technical collaboration of agri-agencies.
According to Gabriela, this resource-intensive co-design approach was essential in shaping FO-RI as a farmer-led program and its national chapters. A comprehensive review of lessons learned and the capitalization of key outcomes—alongside the roles each partner played in adding value (e.g. in the lobby and advocacy, in the experimentation trials, broadly technical -including organisational strengthening, capacity building, etc.-), and leading the FO-RI program components—could offer valuable insights for future initiatives that aim to channel more opportunities directly to farmer-led innovation & research. Additionally, this is where DeSIRA-LIFT plays a vital role—cross-pollinating ideas across projects to ensure that the most promising innovations, which have to be diverse and of all types, have the best chance of scaling up and integrating scientific and local knowledge.
User-Centric Innovations to Guide Investment
A pivotal point Gabriela took from SIF is the essential role of user-driven innovations in making meaningful progress. Innovations that are actively used and refined by communities are more likely to succeed and be scalable & sustainable. For Gabriela, this means that investments in innovation—whether financial, in time, talent or diverse other resources—should prioritize solutions with a high likelihood of adoption and improvement through actual use.
Looking Ahead: Institutionalizing Innovation
Gabriela Quiroga underscored the importance of institutionalizing co-innovation processes through stronger connections with governments, researchers, and the private sector. FAO’s engagement with DeSIRA has been crucial in bringing coherence and accountability to these efforts. To achieve lasting change, we need to foster dialogue between governments and local communities, ensuring that innovations can thrive beyond pilot phases.
A Collaborative Path Forward for Agroecological Transformation
In Gabriela’s experience, the FO-RI program embodies these principles, serving as an example of a farmer-led research creating resilient, community-driven food systems. The insights she gained at SIF reinforce the value of investing in all forms of innovation and its related co-design processes, honouring rural communities as co-creators, and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. As the next phase of DeSIRA projects takes shape, these takeaways will be instrumental in ensuring that collaborative, scalable, and user-centred solutions can continue to drive the agroecological transitions needed for a sustainable future.