Mexico

After a period of strong support in the 1960s and 1970s, public funding for research and extension activities in LAC began to wane in the 1980s and 1990s. The strained... Show More + economic context for many countries required the search for more cost-effective and efficient strategies for producing, disseminating and applying new knowledge and information in agriculture. At the same time, the demand for innovation became all the more pressing, as increased global competition required improvements in agricultural productivity. Consequently, many countries in the region in recent years have sought to revitalize their agricultural research and extension systems through a series of sustainability of funding for these services. Reflective of the drivers of reform, the focus has been on the following principles: 1) diversification in execution and funding; 2) allocation of funding on a competitive basis; 3) demand-driven financing; 4) empowerment of local communities; and, 5) increased private sector participation in implementation of the reform agenda. A series of case studies from the LAC region, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, were conducted to review these institutional reform experiences in agriculture and distill lessons learned to further advance agricultural innovation systems in the region. The following summarizes some of the key trends in both agricultural research and extension based on the analysis of these varied country experiences. Show Less -

The newest Bank supported social funds are designed explicitly to increase the participation of beneficiaries in identifying and managing microprojects, with the aim... Show More + of making project activities more relevant and sustainable. Features which support participation are built into the design of the funds ' management structure and of the microproject cycle. Additional time, management, and training resources are needed to assess and build the necessary capacity of local organizations; and special measures may be required to enable the most marginalized groups to participate. Show Less -