This review aims to introduce the institutional and policy oriented literature on technological innovation into the context of postharvest engineering. The focus is how rigorous quality and food safety standards in cross-border agricultural and horticultural trade influence technological change up stream in the agri-food chain. The review presents a selection of literature that considers technological innovation as a process, with a specific focus on the enabling and constraining institutional conditions found in developing countries. The literature is grouped into three thematically defined frames: (i) interaction in systems of innovation; (ii) upgrading in value chains; and (iii) converging to pro-poor business models. Findings: This review shows that the efficacy of innovation policies and strategies are not only related to technical choices supporting agricultural producers and small and medium sized food processing firms, but also to the institutional linkages and architectures in which innovation and technological change are embedded. Another important finding of the review is that although technology-oriented literature acknowledges the relevance of institutional and policy dimensions as well as the systemic nature of technological change, there is little connectivity between this literature and the scholarly work on technological innovation found in the social sciences and development studies. Implications: The capacity to design and implement studies that combine an in-depth understanding of specific technological performance problems with novel institutional linkages is needed for enabling innovative capabilities in developing countries. Directions for future research: Integrative research programs may be necessary to unravel the interdependencies between technological change and the social-economic and institutional environment in order to inform policy frameworks and business strategies to enhance innovation.
This article presents a different dimension of the innovation systems approach, going beyond analysis and shedding light on how these processes can be facilitated in practice. This is based on 20 years' experience with innovations systems. The focus is on...
Intersectoral partnerships mirror the changing nature of the relationships among state, business and civil society organizations, and are often considered innovative mechanisms to overcome single actor failure in the context of globalization. This article analyzes the capacity of partnerships to...
Discussion of the processes that led Unilever to develop and implement a corporate sustainability strategy working with multiple stakeholders.Major learning points include: 1) interactions with stakeholders are crucial to secure strategic resources in developing countries; 2) developing multi-stakeholder platforms must...
The increasing complexity of technology development and adoption is rapidly changing the effectiveness of scientific and technological policies. Complex technologies are developed and disseminated by networks of agents. The impact of these networks depends on the assets they command, their...
Grant funds specifically targeted to smallholder farmers to facilitate innovation are a promising agricultural policy instrument. They stimulate smallholders to experiment with improved practices, and to engage with research, extension and business development services providers. However, evidence on impact and...
