Mytelka reminds us that ‘innovation is neither research nor science and technology’, and that innovation can take many different forms: from radical changes at the ‘frontier of knowledge’ to a range of small changes. However, small firms and farms must continuously learn to operate in a changing global environment, and governments must invest in building capacity so that they can access critical knowledge and adapt. Using the case of Columbian cut flowers, Mytelka encourages governments to rethink their current policies and practices, build interactive dialogues with smallholder farmers and create a policy environment that will trigger and support smallholder innovation processes.
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