Differential elements of a successful agricultural innovation scaling-up model

Abstract

Worldwide, there is currently an increasing demand for an active connection between the generation of innovations and the achievement of their escalation. Between 2015 and 2018 the scaling up of three varieties of yellow potatoes was carried out in Colombia within the framework of the "More Nutritious Potatoes" project, which had results beyond the objectives and goals proposed in a period of 28 months. One of the results of the project was the design of a Scaling-up model of innovations that linked agriculture with nutrition. This article answers the question: Which were the elements of the scaling-up model that allowed the results obtained in the More Nutritious Potatoes Project? To respond, a set of reference criteria was constructed from the literature. These criteria were contrasted with the theoretical project scaling-up model and its subsequent implementation in the field, using focus groups as a methodology and the model design analysis and its execution by the leaders and the evaluator of the project. The project's Scaling-up Model (SM) was found to include all benchmarks, in addition to identify three key elements that made the results possible: (i) the characteristics of the innovation, (ii) the trans-disciplinary work and (iii) facilitating elements of the process. The results of this exercise complement the evaluated scaling-up model and become benchmarks in the design of innovation scaling-up processes.

Keywords: Agrobiodiversity; Food security; Gender equity; Project evaluation; Rural development; Social change.