Towards resilient and profitable farming systems in Central Mozambique using an open innovation platform approach

Abstract

Farmers in Central Mozambique do not benefit adequately from growing markets for crops and livestock. Ecological, economic and social barriers are intertwined: • Absence of functional markets restricting farmers from investing in agriculture; • Lack of incentives to improve agricultural practices resulting in unavailability of biomass limiting surplus; • Lack of motivation to engage in social organization; As a consequence, farmers lose the ability to respond to market opportunities and to adapt to different forms of shocks that threaten their livelihoods. Innovation platforms (IPs) help to address some of the barriers and underlying dynamics, but do not tackle the root causes impeding transition from subsistence to sustainable, marketoriented farming...