#AskAg Twitter Chat: Knowledge Gaps to Scaling Ag Tech
Event Information
A current call to arms in the development world is to "scale up what works." Though it seems obvious that we should be scaling up the efforts that are working, this is not a simple feat. There are many barriers to scaling up innovative agricultural technology; getting information from research into practice, and from a single test site to full adoption, doesn't happen overnight. How do we make sure the knowledge of "what works" makes it to farmers, policymakers, and implementing partners?
The discussion centered around how we can determine where the gaps in knowledge flow between research and practice, and how knowledge management and communications can help speed technology adoption.
Twitter accounts to follow
| Presenters | Organizations & featured contributors |
| Julie MacCartee: @juliemaccartee | FSN Network @FSNNetwork |
| Peter Ballantyne: @peterballantyne | |
| Patrick Coonan: @km4foodsecurity | |
How to participate
- If you are new to Twitter, visit Twitter.com to sign up for an account. (For more tips on getting started, check out our Twitter training.)
- Explore the guiding questions that will be discussed during the chat.
- Join us for discussion by using the hashtag #AskAg and following @Agrilinks.
- You can also follow on Twubs or through the livestream below.
Guiding Questions:
- How do you use Knowledge capture and sharing tools/processes to advance agricultural technology in your work?
- What KM resources do you rely on most frequently (& why)? What are some examples of excellent KM projects?
- What are some gaps in knowledge flow you have identified? What do you need in terms of technical information and KM resources?
- Many ag innovations are knowledge-intensive (types of seed that work best, when to plant, etc). What are some barriers to tacit knowledge transfer?
Speakers
Julie MacCartee
USAID Bureau for Food Security
Julie MacCartee is a Knowledge Management Specialist with the USAID Bureau for Food Security, where she coordinates a range of knowledge-sharing activities to establish good practice and enhance communication between agricultural development practitioners. She previously managed the Food Security & Agriculture Program under the KDMD Project at The QED Group, LLC. Prior to entering the world of international development, Julie interned with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in Hanoi, Vietnam, where she analyzed Vietnam’s food safety legislation, authored commodity reports, and facilitated relationships between U.S. exporters and local farmers and processors. She has also advocated for progressive federal agricultural policies with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Union of Concerned Scientists. Julie holds an MS in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Tufts University Friedman School, a Master of Public Health from Tufts, and a BS in Biology from Duke University.
Peter Ballantyne
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Patrick Coonan
FSN Network
Patrick Coonan is a Knowledge Management Specialist with the TOPS Program, working to build and strengthen the online community of the Food Security and Nutrition Network. He has experience managing online communities, leading coalitions of community-based organizations and developing engaging classroom experiences for adult immigrants to the U.S. Patrick has worked as a consultant to help organizations improve collaboration and build stronger teams using strengths-based tools and one-on-one coaching. He spends some of his free time volunteering on the board of a community-based organization, Many Languages One Voice, in Washington, DC. Patrick served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Cape Verde from 2001 to 2003. He completed an MA in International Studies from Ohio University in 2007.
Luz Marina
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Luz Marina Alvare is the head of the Knowledge Management Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). In this capacity, she coordinates an interdisciplinary team that focuses on ways to connect information and knowledge management with international development research. From 2004-2010, Marina led the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Virtual Library team. During this time, the Virtual Library team won the CGIAR Outstanding Scientific Support Team Award. Her work focuses on preserving, organizing, and disseminating research information necessary for international development. Since 2009 she focuses her work with academic social media and with the development of interactive data for better research communication in collaboration with research divisions. She joined IFPRI in 2000 after 10 years at the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia.
Event Registration Information
Spotlight Event
Online and In-person Event
United States