Participatory innovation tools in food sovereignty

In this paper we present the use of participatory innovation tools in a food sovereignty project. We introduce participatory innovation as a feasible method for engaging a community of farmers in an innovation process... [ view full abstract ]

In this paper we present the use of participatory innovation tools in a food sovereignty project. We introduce participatory innovation as a feasible method for engaging a community of farmers in an innovation process regarding food production; and we do not intend to show it as the only way to innovate with farmers. We expose how a participatory innovation approach can be used to transform, through tools that invite to a groupal reflection, the production practices of a farming community. Our approach was a path that established that the transformation of daily practices and the introduction of new technologies is feasible when it involves the active participation of community members. We describe all the stages of a case study with a community of organic farmers in Chocontá, Cundinamarca (Colombia). As a result of the innovation process, the community recognized together their resources and limitations, and discovered ways of transforming their organization in order to achieve better production practices and transform their commercial practices.