Conceptions of “Technology Supply” and their impact in the development of Territorial Innovation Systems

• In Event: Science, Technology, and the Regulation of Food and Agriculture #1

Abstract

Developing innovation territorial systems (ITS) in developing countries with rich cultural and biological diversity seems a reasonable path to development, and a simple process. What can be better for improving economic and social orders that achieving sustainable use of biodiversity by incorporating know-how that considers both techno-scientific and millennial practices with aim to make (or increase) the sustainability of livelihoods of farmers and small agriculturalist that still are most of population in developing countries.
However, as any development expert or new practitioner would corroborate the process is not simple but highly complex. There are series factors that have prevented and continue to impede the development of ITS. In this paper (and presentation) we want to examine the case study of Corpoica in Colombia, which confronted the challenge of creating a methodology to develop ITS across the national territory now that a peace agreement has been signed with Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, a guerrilla group that operated for fifty years.
We will discuss how differential conceptions of what constitutes technology supply, both from academia and policy makers promote or prevent the constitution of ITS. The developed methodology takes the framework of resilience to both provoke discussion on the role of technology in development, and to mobilise publics with different and often contradictory ideas to construct a unified plan for the use of biological and cultural diversity.

Authors

• OSCAR A. FORERO, Corpoica-Colombia; SOAS-UK

• Corina Buendia, CORPOICA

• Eliana Martinez, CORPOICA