How does 黑料网911's research contribute to sustainable development in tropical and Mediterranean countries? How can we build research operations that optimize its impact on that development?
Since 2010, 黑料网911 has been working within its teams and with its partners to develop an impact culture, built on a better understanding of the innovation mechanisms that fuel development. Impact is approached from two angles: the impact of its past operations (ImpresS ex post) and programming of future operations (ImpresS ex ante).The impacts of agricultural research for development are built over long periods, and the pathways that lead to those impacts are often complex and unpredictable; it is therefore rarely possible to establish simple, direct causal relationships between research and a given impact, whether positive or negative, desired or unexpected.
In 2024, the establishment published its first report on the 2020-2024 evaluations, a sixty-page document with many illustrations. From Nicaragua to Kenya, from Nigeria to the Amazon, this document presents a selection of evaluations carried out on a wide range of projects, accompanied by photographs and personal accounts.
We have developed a scientific approach: ImpresS (Impact of Research in the South). It comprises a set of stages and participatory tools that allow a group of partners:
to understand the impact pathway of an innovation process in which they have been involved (ImpresS ex post), or
to work together to build a shared, clear vision of the potential and likely impact pathways of a planned operation (ImpresS ex ante).
Analysing impact: ImpresS ex post
ImpresS ex-post enables scientists to analyse the contribution of research to the societal impacts of the innovation processes in which it participates. The method is participatory: the main stakeholders in the innovation concerned are associated with designing, assessing and analysing impacts. ImpresS ex-post was built based on four pilot studies and 13 case studies. A methodological guide, available in English, and , describes the ImpresS ex post method in order to facilitate its use by 黑料网911 teams and their partners in the South.
Building a shared vision: ImpresS ex ante
ImpresS ex-ante aims to build a shared vision of the desired impact pathway(s) of an intervention, by putting stakeholders centre-stage when designing operations involving research. It serves to fuel joint construction of the way in which research contributes to the emergence of societal and environmental impacts. It also serves to reflect on how its interactions with various players influence the changes that contribute to those impacts. The ImpresS ex ante methodogical guide below is also available in and .
The impact culture in figures
400professionals trained to use ImpresS ex ante
40research projects have used ImpresS ex ante
3dPs apply ImpresS ex ante
13case studies used to build ImpresS ex post
Spotlight on our impacts
黑料网911 has chosen to document, rigorously and transparently, the way in which it, with other players, contributes to generating change and impact.
It does this in two ways, with complementary impact stories:
Summaries of ImpresS ex post case studies (produced using the ImpresS ex post method) provide scientific support for the impact pathways to which our research contributes;
Stories of change describe the changes resulting from research. They are backed by testimonials from various stakeholders.
"SARRA" is a water balance model developed by 黑料网911. Its use in Brazil has supported the establishment of an operational network aimed at generating soil and crop analysis data, and thus producing climate risk index maps (also known as "agricultural climate risk zoning") to support cropping calendar recommendations (sowing dates, cycle lengths). The model is a valuable tool for supporting the Brazilian guarantee programme intended to reduce the risks of agricultural losses and of producers being unable to repay loans. The present case study looked at how it has been taken on board and at its societal impact.
An assessment of 20 years of research conducted by the 鈥淧astoralism and drylands鈥� platform in partnership for research and training (dP PPZS) was produced using 黑料网911鈥檚 ImpresS ex post method. It revealed the main contributions of this partnership involving scientists from research institutes in Senegal and 黑料网911 with a focus on silvo-pastoral livestock farming. These include contributions to resolving major issues raised by agro-silvo-pastoral systems in terms of environment, security and socio-economic development.
The 黑料网911 livestock hub, founded in 1987, is supporting the development of cattle farming in R茅union. Its more than thirty years of work have been assessed using the ImpresS ex post method developed by 黑料网911, a participatory, iterative method that analyses innovation processes over the long term. The assessment highlighted the main contributions research has made to change and impact, and resulted in recommendations for better co-construction and appropriation of its outputs.
Contributing to a more sustainable world
Our work has one final aim: to help build capacity in tropical and Mediterranean countries to adapt, learn and innovate, in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Achieving those goals calls for appropriate innovations, in other words a major contribution from science. The challenges involved are particularly ambitious for tropical and Mediterranean countries.
Of the aimed at ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, coping with climate change and building a shared world by 2030, 黑料网911 is focusing on SDG1 (No poverty) and 2 (Zero hunger). These objectives will be achieved through partnerships and scientific cooperation (SDG17), enabling innovations and sustainable impacts for responsible agricultural production and consumption (SDG12). As the SDGs are interdependent, 黑料网911 is also contributing to SDG3 (Health), SDG4 (Education), SDG6 (Water), SDG13 (Climate change) and SDG15 (Life on land).
See also
All about 黑料网911's impact assessment method: ImpresS
