Stepping up science-policy engagement to accelerate climate action in food systems: Lessons across scales

This dissertation develops Science-Policy Engagement (SPE) as a distinct area of research and action within the wider domain of Science-Policy Interfaces (SPIs). This is done by generating lessons on What works, What Doesn’t, How efforts can be institutionalized, and How efforts can be taken to scale in the context of climate action in food systems. These lessons are generated across different scales of research projects, programs, organizations and the knowledge and innovation system for food and agriculture. Using a single embedded case of the CGIAR, the international network responsible for agricultural research and development, the dissertation has a focus on the Global South and identifies success factors, fail factors, lessons for institutionalization, and priorities for a transformation in the knowledge and innovation system. The dissertation draws upon and contributes to different disciplines including SPIs, failure management, institutional design and analysis, and innovation science. Captured from the candidate’s perspective as a scientist on his role as reflexive practitioner in the CGIAR, the dissertation brings rich practical insights which would otherwise not have been captured in the literature. Key theoretical contributions include the three thirds principle for designing research projects for effective SPE, approach to fail intelligently while engaging in SPE, guidance to institutionalize SPE efforts, and contributions to the ongoing calls to transform food systems by offering next steps for innovation systems which helps scale SPE efforts across the entire knowledge and innovation system.