Informal Innovation And Actor Network Theory: A Case Of Value Added Products Of Rice, India

• In Event: Science, Technology, and the Regulation of Food and Agriculture #2

Abstract

Harnessing the local resources has become a major constraint in Manipur, India, despite its abundant natural resources. It is necessary to innovate and upscale local products so that the state would have less dependent on other states. In order to response to the societal problems related to the dependency of food products from neighbouring states, few local industries from informal sector have flourished. Innovations in the informal sector are complex processes and need to understand in their context. Thus, the research work will aim to understand the role of STI policy specifically in the case of informal sector through the lens of Actor Network Theory (ANT) and how it can be instrumental for fulfilling the gap in the existing STI policy? Ethnography would be used to explore the socio-cultural and political context and role of key actors (both human and non-human). It is expect that the basic premises of ANT such as symmetry, the inclusion of non-human actors; will expand the knowledge of informal sector innovation process and provide new paradigm for the STI policy development. Thus, ANT Theory could be instrumental for the fulfilling the addressed gap of STI policy in the state of Manipur and it will help STI policy to give due attention to each and every actor network involved in the informal sector innovations in food processing industries.
Key words: informal innovation, value added products of rice, actor network theory, STI policy,food processing industry, Manipur.

Author

• Wairokpam Premi Devi, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India