The term “innovative farmers” refers to those who have tried or are trying out new and often value-adding practices, using their own knowledge and wisdom but also through appropriation of outsiders’ knowledge. It has been recognised that farmers’ innovations are crucial in order to achieve cumulative growth, both economically and socially. In most of the cases, farmer innovations are encouraged by the need to maintain economically viable production. In other cases, social needs such as food security are also drivers for innovation to increase income. Environmental sustainability, like preservation or restoration of local species has also been a driver of innovations in some regions.

However, several social, political, economical and environmental factors have hampered farmers’ innovation, such as lack of information on aquaculture, inadequate science and technology policies and lack of governmental support. At the commercial level, fish farmers frequently indicate that economic constraints limit in-house development or appropriation of knowledge-based technology. In terms of organisation, innovation is a process that requires science to support technology development that is applicable to production. 

The panel will assess crucial factors needed to promote, encourage and support farmers’ innovative processes: changes in science and technology laws to promote knowledgebased innovations, specific policies to promote investment in innovation, educational policies focussed on developing specific profiles to manage technology-based aquaculture, appropriate personnel training and extension services, and policies that contribute to the development of  aquaculture directed to specific social and cultural groups. Proper design interventions and policies can help to bring in much needed empathetic understanding and holistic vision to connect and integrate the various innovative efforts towards a positive outcome. These could provide vital directions for developing countries to transform into innovation-driven economies. 

The concepts of farmer innovations will be assessed from a broad spectrum of geographical areas and farming systems, describing how these innovations have contributed and can contribute in the future to food security improvement, poverty alleviation and sustainability. The expert panel will examine how interaction between science, technology and production can contribute to innovation in both small-scale and commercial aquaculture. 

Equally important is the recognition of indigenous knowledge in aquaculture, and there are numerous examples that illustrate the good use of this knowledge in developing costeffective and sustainable strategies in poverty alleviation and income generation in both developing and developed countries. The panel will examine how far indigenous knowledge systems have been harnessed in developing aquaculture systems and how indigenous knowledge principles can be used to promote environmentally friendly aquaculture production systems. Indigenous knowledge systems being dynamic, they are constantly influenced by internal creativity and experimentation, as well as by contact with external systems. 

Traditional knowledge is an important part of the lives of the poor: it is the basis for decision-making of communities in food security, health, education and natural resource management. The panel will focus on how this knowledge has been adapted, applied and disseminated. The panel will assess with different stakeholders involved in aquaculture, the possibility to further incorporate indigenous knowledge to improve the productivity and sustainability of the aquaculture systems by remaining environmentally friendly.

The examples and case studies to be presented are expected to generate fruitful discussion and provide pathways to build effective partnerships between farmers, researchers and policy-makers. For instance, in African countries, fish culture using substrate-based technologies in open waters demonstrates that culture-based capture fisheries have been traditional and prevalent in many regions. Some of the major traditional knowledge has been subjected to scientific validations, and attempts have been made to improve them through the application of science-based approaches. However, there is a paucity of information on the vast amount of traditional knowledge that is prevalent in different societies of the world.

The panel will assess dissemination strategies, both traditional and emerging approaches that can be effectively harnessed in the aquaculture sector. Studies clearly reflect that wherever farmers have had access to adequate foundation knowledge on the science of a technology, they have been able to constantly improve the production systems, assuring sustainability and the adaptation to local conditions. Relevant examples that demonstrate how successful technologies and practices have been disseminated through different approaches will be presented. For instance, establishment of farmer field schools, cluster approaches and self help groups in many locations of the world as a way to transfer appropriate aquaculture technology will be discussed and assessed. The report will also present dissemination methodologies followed by some of the most relevant regional aquaculture networks, such as NACA, ANAF and the recent RAA, as well as the EU-supported network known as “SARNISSA electronic network”, created for African aquaculture stakeholders.

The panel will examine the extent that indigenous knowledge, farmers’ innovations and innovative dissemination strategies have contributed to the rapid growth of the aquaculture sector in different parts of the world, and how these practices could be adequately documented and disseminated in the future. Further, the panel will assess the need to promote effective partnerships between farmers and the scientific community; while the conventional dissemination strategies would help to spread the technology in a given location, newer institutional approaches and electronic systems can be used to cross geographical boundaries.