Strands

Strands 1: Sustainable Food and Agricultural Transition

Global changes in climate change, food security and rural sustainability call for a transition of food and agricultural system which involves the interconnection and coordination of technological, social and institutional (or policy) innovations. With an emphasis on the transformation of 500 million smallholders at globe, a systematic innovation perspective is vital to understand multidimensional challenges, opportunities and good practices at grassroots of China and global south in order to find new pathway for sustainable food and agricultural transiton. A few of research themes are identified by ECRs with support from mentoring team for further development as follows:

    1.1     Alternative livelihood system for sustainable rural transition in global south

    1.2     Classification and strategy of rural revitalisation in China

Strands 2: Innovation Base for Industrial Revitalisation

Sustainable food and agricultural transition in the global south requests a reshape of agricultural innovation and higher education systems in order to facilitate industrial revitalisation for poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods at local and regional levels. In reflecting on the challenges and good practices in professional participation and contribution to “targeted poverty alleviation” and rural revitalisation in different agroecological zones of China, this strand aims to shed new light on the pathways of ECRs to engage multiple stakeholders for better understanding of the needs, dynamics, resources and opportunities for the innovation diffusion towards scaling up, standanisation, and marketisation of local pillar products/services. Based upon established partnerships between participatory institutions and industrial stakeholders, in particular, we support, but not be limited to, researches related to the following themes:

    2.1     Potato STB: An innovation base for rural revitalisation n marginal areas through industrialisation and internationalisation

    2.2     Theory and practice of sustainable food system in the global south

    2.3     Interconnection and transformation of small farmers through dragon enterprises

    2.4     Eco-agriculture innovation system for agriculttural and rural transition in ecological fragile areas

Strand 3 : Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In the context of urbanisation, brain drains and rural decline in the global south, both human and social capital are important for the success of external participation/intervention for sustainable poverty alleviation and rural transition. While overwhelming attention is paid to top-down intervention and technological innovation, less is known about social innovation, a process of changing attitudes, perceptions, behaviours among rural people towards common interests, identities and collaborative activities for the better usage of various resources and opportunities, internally and externally. In this regard, the national programmes of “Targeted Poverty Alleviation” and “Rural Revitalisation” in China offers rich information and enormous good cases to develop our understanding in social innovation, entrepreneurship and bottom-up development for better interfaces with external intervention. This Strand contains following themes:

    3.1       Partnerships for rural revitalisation through tourism in China

    3.2       Transformation of community forestry and ecological-social effects in China