Capacity building in developing
countries
Strengthening the national capacity building systems in agriculture in the developing countries is a key milestone to address the challenges of food security, sustainable use of natural resources and poverty reduction in the rural areas of the world.
· The recently increased attention to higher education and strengthening the capacities after many years of neglect is welcome, but many institutions for this purpose are in the South are still weak.
· Funding, partnerships, leveraging, and long-term two-way commitment are required to strengthen the capacity of local institutions,
· Universities and training centers, on their part, need to demonstrate their commitment to both upstream and downstream development needs,
· Research, education and development must be well-connected to keep education relevant.
· Research however needs to be end-user oriented and universities need to strengthen their engagement in the innovation process.
Multi-stakeholder platforms are important and necessary as both capacity building and innovation fora. The facilitation of such processes, recognized as a public good, should be funded by governments and donors.