It’s funny that we are even discussing “farmer innovation” as somewhat of a novelty at an agricultural research conference. Agriculture took root over 10,000 years ago, as humanity shifted away from its hunter-gatherer origins. In fact, one could argue that farmers were really the first “scientists”, domesticating plants and animals through observation, trial, error, and repetition. While mention of scientists (or natural philosophers as called in antiquity) began to appear close to 3,000 years ago, the earliest research institutions (which were largely observatories) did not arise until early medieval times. So what is the commotion over new knowledge and technologies generated by the producer his/herself? (Continue...)

Working with smallholder farmers in Nepal, Pramila Thapa has seen the importance in combining development and research activities. Originally from Nepal, she is finishing her first year of a master’s degree in Sustainable International Agriculture at Gottingen University in Germany. Her first degree was also in Agriculture. Now focusing on agribusiness, she has previous experience in integrated pest management and market access, crafting success stories for her work with a national Nepalese NGO. As a student reporter, she hopes to link scientific outcomes and the dissemination of findings to on-the-ground realities. Through participation in the Tropentag conference, she also hopes to improve her own understanding of the range of research taking place around the world related to tropical and semi-tropical agriculture, in order to bring back lessons for her own country.