Institutional Learning and Change Initiative

The programmes that participate in the Learning Laboratory share the following characteristics:

• A central objective to reduce agricultural and rural poverty
• Significant involvement of poor farmers and other intended users of research results in the R&D process
• Substantial collaboration developed among different types of organizations (for example, international research, national research, NGOs, local government, farmers’ groups, policy organizations, universities)
• Strong leadership commitment to participating actively in learning and critical assessment of their work in the context of the Learning Laboratory

The Learning Laboratory Cases were as follows (exact titles still under development in some cases):

• Integrated Crop Management and Value Chain Improvement for Sweetpotato Livelihoods in Central Luzon, Philippines - Users’ Perspectives With Agricultural Research and Development (UPWARD) network
• Andean Change Program (Cambio Andino)
• Network for linking users to researchers for banana and plantain improvement (Bioversity International)
• The Kenya Smallholder Dairy Project (Kenya Dairy), Innovation Works Initiative, ILRI
• Knowledge and Monitoring System of SG2000 Innovations in Africa (SG2000), Impacts Targeting Unit, CIMMYT
• African Highlands Initiative (AHI)
• Generating new knowledge on Knowledge Intensive Agricultural Systems (KIA), Xavier Institute of Management, India

Photo credit: ILAC Learning Laboratory Meeting in Cali, March 2008 by Cristina Sette