AGRICULTURE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM AND FOOD SECURITY: STRATEGY OF ADOPTION OFAGRICULTURE MECHANIZATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THROUGH “BELT AND ROAD” INITIATIVE CHINA

Abstract

In this article, we study the influence of Agriculture Innovation ecosystem on food security through the contribution of Belt and Road Initiative. We identify strategy which foster agriculture mechanization adoption in developing countries.  The innovation ecosystem is the large and diverse range of resources and participants that are necessary and contribute to continuous innovation in an economy. These include investors, entrepreneurs, technical and business development service providers, and researchers amongst others. We engage with agriculture Innovation Ecosystems thinking to consider the ways in which it might enhance efforts to create multi-actor, cross-sectoral innovation that are capable of supporting transitions to sustainable agricultural systems across multiple scale, hence achieving food security (Pigford, Hickey, & Klerkx, 2018). According to the world health organization (WHO) in the state of food security and nutrition in the world 2018, new evidence this year corroborates the rise in world hunger observed in this report last year, sending a warning that more action is needed if we aspire to end world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. Through the “belt and road” initiative by the Chinese government, many international students got the opportunity to study in China, and act as a bridge between their respective countries and China (Yu, Qian, & Liu, 2019). In addition, as home country of great number of manufacturing companies, China promote agriculture mechanization and provide agricultural machinery to belt and road countries (de Soyres, Mulabdic, Murray, Rocha, & Ruta, 2019). These strategies have an impact in achieving food security worldwide (Zhang, Zhang, Tian, Liu, & Zhang, 2018). We speak of food security "when all people, at all times, have economic, social and physical access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that satisfies their nutritional needs and dietary preferences to enable them to live active and healthy lives" stated by Food and Agriculture organization. For this research, we attempted to show how “belt and road” initiative contribute to food security.

Keywords: Agriculture Innovation ecosystem, Agricultural mechanization, China, belt and road, food security.

DOI: 10.7176/IKM/11-4-03

Publication date:May 31^st 2021