The dissemination of already existing technologies from outside could help this endeavour, but a major challenge relates to the ways and means in which innovation that is relevant to African agriculture could be promoted. Such an enabling environment, by definition, is one that strengthens the absorptive capacity of local actors while protecting their interests through a policy framework that recognises their legal rights and privileges, linkages, socio-cultural norms and historical context. This report defines an enabling environment for technology and innovation in agriculture as one that provides the actors, skills, institutions and organizations required to promote the use, dissemination, diffusion and creation of knowledge into useful processes, products and services. This requires an integrative and holistic approach to policy formulation and demands close interaction between the different ministries whose policies have an impact on innovation and performance of the economy as a whole (national innovation system) or specific sectors (ICT, agriculture, health, electronics, etc).