Use of the Triple Helix model of innovation to explore the factors conditioning the effectiveness of a framework for monitoring the prevalence and impact of the fall armyworm in Africa

ABSTRACT

This paper introduces a suite of technical tools developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) which aim to monitor the prevalence and impact of a new invasive insect pest in Africa – Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The roll-out of the tools is still at an early phase, and further studies will be necessary to evaluate the outcomes. The specific content of this paper will be the description of the four tools – which together make up a monitoring framework –, followed by an analysis of the factors determining the likely future effectiveness of the tools and the framework according to innovation theory. More specifically, the Triple Helix Model of innovation will be evaluated and used to develop specific research questions, the answers to which will likely determine the future effectiveness of the FAW monitoring framework and its tools. It will emerge that a combination of institutional, technological and social factors will condition the effectiveness and sustainability of the suite of innovative monitoring tools developed. Furthermore, the Triple Helix model itself is shown to have a crucial limitation in this case due to the fact that it does not explicitly consider the role of civil society in the effective innovation process.

KEYWORDS:

• Innovation
• monitoring tools
• invasive crop pest

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Food security is defined as ‘sufficient access to healthy and nutritious food by all people at all times for an active and healthy life’.

2. Yield is the production per unit area of a crop normally expressed in kg per hectare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Massimiliano Ruzzeddu

Massimiliano Ruzzeddu is Tenured Researcher at University Niccolò Cusano in Rome. He is Vice-President of World Complexity Science Academy. He is co-director of WCSA Book Series, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, and Honorary Editor of the journal System Research and Behavioral Science (Wiley). He authored several scientific works in Epistemology of Social Science and Sociological Theory. Recently, he edited together with prof. Andrea Millefiorini the book Between Rationality and Irrationality, Harmattan, Paris.

Neil Marsland

Neil Marsland, after graduating from Oxford University with an M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Economics, he has worked for a large number of organizations concerned with International Development including International NGOs, donor agencies, research institutes and finally FAO where he has worked for 12 years in the Emergency and Rehabilitation Division in Rome. His current responsibilities include post-disaster agriculture sector assessment and monitoring and evaluation. Among his recent publications: Coote, H. C., Marsland, N. K., Wilson, I. M., Abeyasekera, S., & Kleih, U. K. (2007). Applied research and dissemination, in P. Golob, G. Farrell, & J. E. Orchard (eds.), Crop post-harvest: Science and technology. Wiley; Marsland, N., Wilson, I., Abeyasekera, S., Kleih, U. (2000). A methodological framework for combining quantitative and qualitative survey methods. An output from the DFID-funded Natural Resources Systems Programme (Socio-Economic Methodologies Component) project R7033 titled Methodological Framework Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches for SocioEconomic Survey Work. Collaborative project between the Social and Economic Development Department, Natural Resources Institute and the Statistical Services Centre, The University of Reading; Marsland, N., Wilson, I., Abeyasekera, S., & Kleih, U. Socioeconomic methodologies for natural resources research best practice guidelines combining quantitative (formal) and qualitative (informal) survey methods. Natural Research Institute, University of Greenwich; Abeyasekera, S., & Marsland, N. A Theme Paper associated with outputs from the DFID-funded Natural Resources Systems Programme (SocioEconomic Methodologies Component) project R7033 titled Methodological Framework Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches for SocioEconomic Survey Work.

Brenda Lazarus

Brenda Lazarus is an M.Sc. graduate in Agricultural Food and Resource Economics from Michigan State University. Brenda spent 2 years working as a research assistant at the University before joining the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNet) where she worked as a Food Security analyst and decision support advisor. She then moved to FAO Headquarters in Rome, working as a market systems specialist. After a short spell as a consultant for the World Food Programme (WFP) in West Africa, Brenda is now FAO Regional Emergency Agriculture and Livelihoods Assessment Advisor for East Africa, based in Nairobi.

Cara Kielwein

Cara Kielwein is Junior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Dili, Timor-Leste.