Scaling Agricultural Technologies: Bringing Research to Farmers and the Market

Farmers learn how to calibrate sprayers during a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT in Mexico
Farmers learn how to calibrate sprayers during a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT in Mexico. Photo: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT

Event Information

USAID's Administrator Raj Shah has challenged USAID Missions and partners to reach more smallholder farmers with promising agricultural technologies. The development and adaptation of new technologies is often the purview of national and international research institutions, while scaling technologies – bringing them to the farmer in commercially sustainable ways – was traditionally done by other actors. That paradigm has radically shifted, blurring old distinctions, broadening responsibilities, and tightening collaborations to bring appropriate technologies to meet smallholder demand. How can technology-driven scaling efforts increase demand-driven adoption in the field? At this seminar, speakers from the research and technology dissemination field shared lessons from case studies in three areas:

  • Research: Forming dissemination linkages within research programs in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
  • Adoption: Using research findings to scale adoption of technologies by smallholder farmers
  • Market: Addressing constraints to commercializing the outputs of research institutes

Featured Webinar Contributor
At this seminar Agrilinks welcomed Elizabeth Skewgar of USAID/BFS to the webinar chat. Elizabeth was available to answer questions from online participants and shared lessons she has learned as a part of her work on scaling technology. Elizabeth joined the U.S. Agency for International Development under the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program. She serves as a technical advisor on sustainable agricultural development in the Bureau for Food Security. 

Speakers

Sahara Moon

Saharah Moon Chapotin photo

USAID/BFS

Saharah Moon Chapotin is currently acting Division Chief for Agricultural Research at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She joined the agency in 2006 as a Biotechnology Advisor, managing international partnerships to promote the adoption of conservation agriculture practices in South Asia and to develop bioengineered crops for small-holder farmers and strengthen biosafety regulatory capacity in Africa & Asia. Prior to this, she worked at the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products (BIGMAP), Iowa State University, where her work focused on resolving regulatory issues for genetically engineered crops, especially those intended for small and niche-markets. Chapotin holds a B.S. in Biology from Stanford University, a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Harvard University and has completed the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program.

Jerry Glover

Jerry Glover photo

USAID/BFS

Jerry Glover is a National Geographic Society Explorer and Senior Sustainable Agricultural Systems Advisor for USAID. He earned bachelor degrees in soil science and philosophy and then a PhD in soil science at Washington State University in 2001. Prior to his work at USAID, Jerry studied native grasslands and farming systems, including no-till, perennial, organic and integrated systems. He has published the results of his work in Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Scientific American. His work in soil science and perennial-based farming systems has been highlighted in National Geographic, Nature, and three documentary films. Most recently, Scientific American included Jerry’s work in its December 2011 special issue on the “Top Ten World Changing Ideas.”

Bob Nanes

Bob Nanes Photo

IDE

Bob has been working in agriculture and irrigation development for more than 30 years. During that time he has run two private businesses, and managed more than 50 projects as a country director of non-profit, IDE. These projects have primarily worked with smallholder farmers and has included irrigation supply chain development, vegetable production, production and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants, small livestock production, fish farming, farm mechanization, and organization of farmer marketing groups. Bob contributed to the development of IDE’s core agricultural methodology, PRISM (Poverty Reduction through Irrigation and Smallholder Markets), a value chain approach oriented specifically to the needs of smallholder farmers and high value crop production. As Director of Training from 2007-2009, Bob conducted trainings and gave technical assistance across IDE’s country programs. Bob is currently living and working in Denver, Colorado and continues to work for IDE as VP of Technology and Innovation.

Steve New

Steve New Photo

Fintrac

A founding Fintrac team member, Steve has three decades of agriculture development experience across four continents. He has managed multi-year USAID programs, led FAO, EU and other donor evaluation teams, and advised government ministries and producer associations on issues ranging from codes of practice to market infrastructure. He has established traceability programs to integrate smallholder supply into export operations. Steve is particularly adept at forging partner alliances with private companies, locally and internationally, to synergize value-chain development and create new opportunities for women, youth, and other disenfranchised groups. He has a Ph.D. in postharvest physiology.

Event Registration Information

Spotlight Event

In-person Event
Ronald Reagan Building 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Rooms M-17 & M-18, located on the Mezzanine Level Washington, District of Columbia, 20012, United States

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