Agricultural knowledge and innovation systems in transition : a reflection paper

The European Union's Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) is mandated by the Council to play a major role in the coordination of Agricultural Research efforts across the European Research Area (currently 37 countries). This includes questions of advisory services, education, training and innovation. The SCAR installed a collaborative working group of civil servants from the Commission and the Member States to reflect on Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems. Innovation is an important challenge for European agriculture, but little is known about the performance of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). This report gathers experiences from different countries and regions. These systems are very different between countries, regions and sectors. Although they are changing, there is no guarantee that they are fit to the challenges needed to increase productivity and sustainability in agriculture and food production.