FAO, Iran start joint programme to reinvigorate agricultural
innovation in the country

FAO supports the establishment of an agricultural innovation lab
in Iran to enhance the national capacity in generating novel approaches for
tackling growing food and nutrition security challenges.

 To strengthen Iranian
national capacity in addressing emerging challenges in food and nutrition
security, agricultural productivity, and environmental conservation, the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close
collaboration with the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension
Organization (AREEO), take the first step to establish an Agricultural
Innovation Lab (i-Lab) Programme in the country.

The FAO-Iran i-Lab initiative would bring researchers,
technologists, young people, public and private sectors and start-ups together
to construct and implement capacity development plans for agricultural
innovations.

According to a press release published by the FAO Representation
in Iran, as the first step, FAO and AREEO hold a joint stakeholders engagement
and validation workshop, congregating experts from the Ministry of Agriculture
Jahad, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, AREEO and
international experts to discuss the requisite procedures, frameworks, priority
working areas and guidelines for an open call of proposals.

 “The initiative, modelled by FAO in nine pilot countries
in Africa, Asia and Central America, would provide an enabling environment for
innovative procedures to harness the untapped power of existing and frontier
technologies; design, pilot, accelerate and scale-up innovative ideas,
services, and tools; and transform new solutions into public goods,” said Mr
Gerold Bödeker, FAO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran in his
opening remarks at the event. “This joint programme is expected to enhance the
productivity, effectiveness, competitiveness, and resilience of the country’s
agriculture and food system.”

Mr Bödeker added, “the i-Lab will provide a platform for FAO to
utilise the knowledge, experiences and new ideas of Iranian experts, scholars
and entrepreneurs for achieving innovative solutions in addressing challenges
pertaining to the climate change, soil erosion, desertification, deforestation
and the food and nutrition security and safety.”

 “The establishment of FAO-Iran i-Lab would also develop an
intra-organizational model of innovation; promote an entrepreneurial culture;
help to identify owners of innovative ideas among the private sector, academia,
governmental agencies and entrepreneurs; and assist in evaluating the potential
capacities of the proposed ideas,” underscored the FAO Representative.

Based in the AREEO campus in Karaj, this initiative will provide
the space to mentor start-up teams, provide funds, expand communication networks,
and advocate for agro-innovation proposals.

The programme will provide capacity-building opportunities,
including workshops, training and entrepreneurship events for governmental
staff and catalyse effective interaction between research institutes and
industries. This initiative would establish a solid platform to gather the most
recent and novel ideas in areas of agriculture, natural resources and
environmental management.

Being the lead UN agency in promoting sustainable climate-smart
agro-rural development, FAO extends its support to member countries to adopt a
system-wide approach to unlock the potential of innovation, linking network of
actors together with supporting policies and institutions to harness new
technologies, products, processes, and forms of organization in responding to
the emerging needs and challenges.

http://www.fao.org/iran/news/detail-events/en/c/1375089/