National Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS): Diagnosis, Gaps, and Mapping of Actors

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This manuscript uses a systematic diagnostic approach to comprehensively assess the functioning of the SIA and the NAIS in the department of Tolima, Colombia, through questionnaires and data analysis. This methodology helped to identify key variables and potential gaps to inform improvement and development strategies. Below are my suggestions for improvement:

1. A three-line table format is recommended for all tables in the article.

2. Figures 1-4 are recommended to be merged into one figure with 4 sub-figures, as are Figures 5-8.

3. It is recommended to reduce the length of the article or put some of the tables in the supplementary material.

4. The limitations of the study and future work should be added to the discussion.

5. It is recommended that the authors discuss in detail the challenges that may have been encountered in implementing the strategy and possible strategies to address them in the "5. Discussion" section.

6. Please check and correct the journal formatting, e.g., italicize and abbreviate the journal name, bold the year of publication, etc.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thank you for your recommendations and suggested adjustments, we are sure that with the reviewers' observations we can reach a better version of our paper.

1. A three-line table format is recommended for all tables in the article.

The three-line table was applied.

2. Figures 1-4 are recommended to be merged into one figure with 4 sub-figures, as are Figures 5-8.

The figures were merged.

3. It is recommended to reduce the length of the article or put some of the tables in the supplementary material.

Most of the tables were transferred to supplementary material.

4. The limitations of the study and future work should be added to the discussion.

These limitations were included in the discussion:

It is important to consider certain aspects for future complementary studies in the area of Administrative Information Systems (AIS)in this direction:  1) Compare the identified gaps not only among a larger number of departments but also with the status of such gaps both nationally and in other countries and regions; 2) So far, only four departments have been diagnosed using the tool developed for this study but sit would be convenient to extend these diagnoses to all departments in a systematic way, with time intervals that allow the temporal evolution of each variable/gap to be analyzed; finally, 3) There is a great opportunity to develop a web tool containing the questions used in this study. This would make it easier to obtain answers in real-time, with lower costs and the possibility of responding to the diagnosis using information technologies.

5. It is recommended that the authors discuss in detail the challenges that may have been encountered in implementing the strategy and possible strategies to address them in the "5. Discussion" section.

The discussion section was improved and complemented with paragraphs mentioning challenges and possible strategies.

6. Please check and correct the journal formatting, e.g., italicize and abbreviate the journal name, bold the year of publication, etc.

Corrections were applied to the references.

Reviewer 2 Report

The National Agricultural Innovation System plays an important role in ensuring sustainable food security. These are essential for the sustainable development of agriculture and provide a new framework for analyzing the role of science and technology. The article presents the attitude of the interested parties towards this system.

Within the article, there are many mistakes related to the abbreviation of the names using reversed abbreviations for the same systems.

Abbreviations and the whole form are almost always repeated (it is defined only the first time, then only the abbreviated form is used); some have abbreviations, some do not (rows 23, 52, 87, and others). The National Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS) is also abbreviated NARS, and the Agricultural Innovation System (SIA) is also abbreviated AIS (rows 15, 20, 35, 68, 79, and others).

Specialty literature The specialized literature is quite convoluted.

Methodology and results

 The methodology is completely lacking.

There is no information about the statistical tools used.

It is stated only in the abstract of the Likert scale without being detailed in the article, including how many steps were taken and how the index presented in the tables was determined.

Also in the abstract, it is mentioned that congruence and relevance indexes were used as analysis tools.

The congruence coefficient has values between -1 and +1. The values in the tables are greater than 1. The data from the tables is partially presented in the figures.

Why were figures made only for certain regions?

 In table 2, in phase 1, the actions are repeated.

 I have not identified Annex 1, called "Information Collection Instrument."

The scientific methodology is not respected; the variables are not defined. Gaps about what?

DISCUSSION

 Very short

You could merge results and discuss

Conclusions.

 On line 539, GarCia's master's thesis is cited, but this is not found in the bibliography.

See also line 540.

The conclusions are quite general. If the methodology is redone and presented correctly, including the results and conclusions, it can be radically improved.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thank you for your recommendations, corrections and suggested adjustments, we have applied the observations to the paper, below we send you the summary:

1. 

The abbreviations were corrected.

2.  Methodology and results:

The methodology is improved as seen below: The methodology used in this study focuses on a diagnosis designed to address and mitigate the gaps identified in the regions under study, a practice widely spread in various contexts which has been applied in studies . evaluation or diagnosis/profiling/mapping of regions, sectors and companies, to inventory, evaluate, monitor, assimilate, enrich, manage projects and protect [43], such as the Diagnosis of gaps in innovation capabilities in 460 companies in Quindío – Colombia [44]; the Application of an Innovation and Technology Management Methodology in a Food Company in Armenia – Colombia [45]; the Analysis of the Technological Profile in Colombian Companies with a focus on Antioquia [46]; and the Diagnosis of innovation nutrianalisis [47], among other studies. These examples illustrate the relevance and applicability of the methodology in innovation management in various business and regional areas in Colombia. A methodology with a mixed approach was used that involved carrying out a literature review, a survey with 58 questions on a Likert scale to 300 participants, which is found in complementary material Table 1. Instrument for collecting information agreement 20220464 Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Technological University of Pereira.

The relevance and congruence indices were used to validate each of the questions that were part of the final instrument applied to the 300 productive units. These indices were evaluated by experts in innovation systems, innovation management and technological management. Regarding congruence, the experts assessed whether each variable and its four states were related to the objective of establishing an innovation management model in a company in the ingredients and functional products sector. A value of "1" was assigned for "congruent", "-1" for "non-congruent" and "0" if there were doubts about the congruence of the variable and its four states, following the approach of Pascual and Gil [48]. . On the other hand, in relation to relevance, the experts evaluated whether the content of each variable and its four states reflected the importance of the innovation management model in a company in the ingredients and functional products sector. This evaluation was made on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, from "not at all relevant" (1) to "totally relevant" (5). Both indices, congruence and relevance, were used to identify key variables in the functioning of the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS). The other actions to carry out this diagnosis are described in Figure 1. Phase proposals.

The 4 departments (regions) are selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia and the diagnosis was assigned through a project of the National Royalties System to the Technological University of Pereira. It is expected that this study in the future will become a pilot that can be applied with the same instrument to the 32 departments of Colombia. The data from the sample of 1205 observations were coded with the Excel tool for operationalization and then imported into the statistical software R and RStudio. The eight municipalities analyzed have populations that vary between 5,100 and 50,370 inhabitants, with notable differences between them, such as in Bolívar and Chocó where the variations are less than ten thousand and one thousand inhabitants respectively, while in Meta the difference between municipalities such as Cabuyaro and Vistahermosa exceeds 20 thousand inhabitants.

The congruence coefficient has values between -1 and +1. The values in the tables are greater than 1. The data from the tables is partially presented in the figures:

The aforementioned aspects were added to the methodology: The relevance and congruence indices were used to validate each of the questions that were part of the final instrument applied to the 300 productive units. These indices were evaluated by experts in innovation systems, innovation management and technological management. Regarding congruence, the experts assessed whether each variable and its four states were related to the objective of establishing an innovation management model in a company in the ingredients and functional products sector. A value of "1" was assigned for "congruent", "-1" for "non-congruent" and "0" if there were doubts about the congruence of the variable and its four states, following the approach of Pascual and Gil [48]. . On the other hand, in relation to relevance, the experts evaluated whether the content of each variable and its four states reflected the importance of the innovation management model in a company in the ingredients and functional products sector. This evaluation was made on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, from "not at all relevant" (1) to "totally relevant" (5). Both indices, congruence and relevance, were used to identify key variables in the functioning of the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS).

Why were figures made only for certain regions?

The 4 regions or Departments were chosen by the Ministry of Agriculture of Colombia and assigned through a project for the Technological University of Pereira, it is expected that this will be the pilot to apply the same instrument to the 32 Departments of Colombia, for that reason and the extent of each case, this paper contains the results of one of those regions or Departments.

 In table 2, in phase 1, the actions are repeated:

The repeated action was removed: “Identify and collect information from the UPA (Agricultural Production Units)”.

 I have not identified Annex 1, called "Information Collection Instrument.":

Information Collection Instrument was included in the supplementary material

The scientific methodology is not respected; the variables are not defined. Gaps about what?:

The methodology of gap analysis through diagnoses, profiles or mappings of technology and innovation management has been widely used in our context. Morin (1985) defines within the functions of technology and innovation management activities such as inventorying, evaluating, monitoring , assimilate, enrich, manage projects and protect, within them, the functions related to the evaluation or diagnosis/profile/mapping of regions, sectors and companies is one of the most used, as we have verified in previous studies such as shown below. continuation:

Capacidades de innovación. Medición de capacidades de innovación en 460 empresas de Quindío – Colombia: https://www.revistaespacios.com/a16v37n10/16371002.html

Aplicación de una Metodología de Gestión de Innovación y Tecnología en una Empresa de Alimentos en Armenia – Colombia: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4778/477847108005.pdf

Análisis del Perfil Tecnológico en Empresas Colombianas. Aplicación en 42 empresas de Antioquia-Colombia: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266385101_Analisis_del_Perfil_Tecnologico_en_Empresas_Colombianas_Aplicacion_en_42_Empresas_de_Antioquia-Colombia

Diagnóstico de innovación nutrianalisis: https://repository.eafit.edu.co/server/api/core/bitstreams/aef1714a-1f74-409a-ae0f-90a838b81427/content

Gestión de innovacion. aplicaciones de metodologia en empresas y formacion de gestores de innovacion: https://www.buscalibre.com.co/libro-gestion-de-innovacion-aplicaciones-de-metodologia-en-empresas-y-formacion-de-gestores-de-innovacion/9789587641417/p/54956925

Discussion:

This is duly improved: It is important for future complementary studies - in SIA to take into account: 1) compare the gaps obtained with a greater number of departments, as well as with the status of each gap in the country and other countries and regions. 2) so far there are 4 departments diagnosed with the tool built for this study, it is convenient that all departments have these diagnoses, carried out systematically in periods of time that allow analyzing the behavior over time of each variable/gap. There is a great opportunity to build a web tool with the questions of the instrument applied in this research, this would allow obtaining answers in a shorter unit of time, less costs and with the facilities of being able to answer the diagnosis using information technologies, this would also allow us to know gaps in real time.

Conclusions:

On line 539, GarCia's master's thesis is cited, but this is not found in the bibliography.

See also line 540.

This quote and reference was removed.

The conclusions are quite general. If the methodology is redone and presented correctly, including the results and conclusions, it can be radically improved.

In the conclusion: The following paragraphs are included: Previous studies on innovation systems have been successful in applying a systematic approach to the theory and practice of innovation in various organizations, sectors, regions and countries. With the results obtained in this diagnosis, new elements are added to the theory of innovation systems by proposing the measurement of sustainability and information technology variables, aspects on which the first studies on innovation systems had not focused.

In conclusion, the results of this study can be very useful for public policy decision makers both at the level of the department studied and the country and other regions with similar characteristics in their innovation systems. This is because they could propose public calls for projects, projects and strategies to address the identified gaps and thus promote new research in technological and competitive surveillance, foresight, innovation models, R&D&I strategies and, in general, activities and projects that allow closing the gaps found and energizing the innovation system.

Reviewer 3 Report

This paper wishes to provide an analytical framework for the Agricultural Innovation System (SIA) in the Tolima (Colombia) department. The authors show that Tolima's department needs to improve innovation and ICTs. The paper has interesting conclusions but requires some revisions to be published in Sustainability. 

1. It would be interesting to discuss further some best practices to be followed by SIA.
2. In line 41, the authors refer to "the closing of gaps". They should exemplify what they mean by this reference. 
3. The authors have to describe the questionnaire of their research. 
4.  The authors wish to associate SIA with sustainability. Thus, they should briefly discuss sustainable development in their introduction to catch the readers' interest. In this vein, the following two papers should be included: "Broad strokes towards a grand theory in the analysis of sustainable development: a return to the classical political economy", New Political Economy, 27(5), pp. 866-878, and (b) "The concept of sustainable development: From its beginning to the contemporary issues", Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business, 21(1), 67-94.
5. What are the theoretical and policy implications of this paper?
6. Are there any limitations?

Minor

The paper needs careful proofreading. For instance, the sentence "First, a theoretical framework is presented that reviews the literature on worldwide case studies related to the Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS) to identify strategies, good practices, and relevant projects that promote the development of the system" appears twice. 

Extensive editing of the English language and proofreading are required.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

We are very grateful to you for your adjustments and suggestions, we have applied the recommendations to the paper, below we present the summary:

1. It would be interesting to discuss further some best practices to be followed by SIA.

These are included in the discussion: On the other hand, the study carried out in India highlights the crucial role of social networks in agricultural innovation, underlining their contribution to the generation of knowledge and its transfer to processes of technical assistance and institutional support. In addition, the importance of advice on agricultural techniques and technologies is highlighted for the formulation of training and training programs, which can significantly improve productivity and efficiency in the sector.

The analysis of investment in sustainable urban agriculture in Mexico shows the potential of this approach to positively impact the income of productive units, suggesting new ways to address economic challenges in urban environments. Likewise, the study carried out in Colombia highlights the need to analyze the banana chain and the interactions between the different actors in the agricultural system to improve technical assistance, agricultural extension and the management of water resources.

Finally, the use of digital platforms to connect the agricultural innovation ecosystem in India offers technological solutions that can improve efficiency and decision-making in agricultural production. Together, these studies demonstrate the importance of adopting comprehensive and collaborative approaches to address agricultural challenges, drawing on lessons learned from diverse experiences globally. The execution of these actions may contribute to closing the gaps identified by capitalizing on the lessons learned from the aforementioned innovation experiences. Participation in the Regional Innovation Systems (SIR) and the Sectoral Innovation System (SIS) offers the department of Tolima the opportunity to improve competitiveness and productivity at the national and regional agricultural level, and provides a vision of how strategies, good practices and projects can be adapted to address the specific challenges of each territory. The analysis of niche initiatives in intensive agriculture, together with the role of social networks in agricultural innovation and investment in sustainable urban agriculture, offers unique perspectives and practical contributions to address the challenges identified in Tolima and other agricultural regions diagnosed. Together, these investigations point to promising paths to improve the SNIA and promote sustainable agricultural development in Colombia and beyond.

2.  In line 41, the authors refer to "the closing of gaps". They should exemplify what they mean by this reference.

The methodology of gap analysis through diagnoses, profiles or mappings of technology and innovation management has been widely used in our context. Morin (1985) defines within the functions of technology and innovation management activities such as inventorying, evaluating, monitoring , assimilate, enrich, manage projects and protect, within them, the functions related to the evaluation or diagnosis/profile/mapping of regions, sectors and companies is one of the most used, as we have verified in previous studies such as:

Capacidades de innovación. Medición de capacidades de innovación en 460 empresas de Quindío – Colombia: https://www.revistaespacios.com/a16v37n10/16371002.html

Aplicación de una Metodología de Gestión de Innovación y Tecnología en una Empresa de Alimentos en Armenia – Colombia: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4778/477847108005.pdf

Análisis del Perfil Tecnológico en Empresas Colombianas. Aplicación en 42 empresas de Antioquia-Colombia: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266385101_Analisis_del_Perfil_Tecnologico_en_Empresas_Colombianas_Aplicacion_en_42_Empresas_de_Antioquia-Colombia

DIAGNÓSTICO DE INNOVACIÓN NUTRIANALISIS: https://repository.eafit.edu.co/server/api/core/bitstreams/aef1714a-1f74-409a-ae0f-90a838b81427/content

GESTIÓN DE INNOVACION. APLICACIONES DE METODOLOGIA EN EMPRESAS Y FORMACION DE GESTORES DE INNOVACION: https://www.buscalibre.com.co/libro-gestion-de-innovacion-aplicaciones-de-metodologia-en-empresas-y-formacion-de-gestores-de-innovacion/9789587641417/p/54956925

3. The authors have to describe the questionnaire of their research:

The questionnaire is included in the complementary material.

4. The authors wish to associate SIA with sustainability. Thus, they should briefly discuss sustainable development in their introduction to catch the readers' interest. In this vein, the following two papers should be included: "Broad strokes towards a grand theory in the analysis of sustainable development: a return to the classical political economy", New Political Economy, 27(5), pp. 866-878, and (b) "The concept of sustainable development: From its beginning to the contemporary issues", Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business, 21(1), 67-94.

The two references were attached

5. What are the theoretical and policy implications of this paper?

Previous studies on innovation systems have been successful in applying a systematic approach to the theory and practice of innovation in various organizations, sectors, regions and countries. Our results add new elements to the theory of innovation systems by proposing the measurement of sustainability and information technology variables, aspects on which the first studies on innovation systems did not focus.

In conclusion, the results of this study can be very useful for public policy decision makers both at the level of the department studied and the country and other regions with similar characteristics in their innovation systems. This is because they could propose public calls for projects, address the identified gaps and promote new research in technological and competitive surveillance, foresight, innovation models, R&D&I strategies and, in general, activities and projects that allow closing the gaps found and energize the innovation system

6. Are there any limitations?

Two limitations were added to the paper

English language and proofreading

A new review of the English was carried out with a translator, the certificate with the main corrections made is attached.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Following the additions, the article has improved significantly, but there are still some things to improve.

The methodology is still unclear. This is mainly due to Tables 2, 3 and 4 which are not found in the supplementary material section (where only the questionnaire is attached). I hope that by attaching the missing tables I understand the whole process of processing the data from the questionnaire until the results are obtained

Author Response

Best regards dear reviewer We are attaching tables 2, 3 and 4. We remain attentive to resolve any concerns. Sincerely, Luis Fernando Gutiérrez Cano

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors addressed my previous comments and improved their manuscript.

Minor editing of the English language is required

Author Response

Dear reviewer

We have reviewed the recommendation and made the improvement within the attached document, which took these considerations into account:eview process:

1. 1. *Relevance of references*: The author must ensure that all references are relevant to the content of the manuscript. (this was not done, it should be done by the authors of the paper)
2. *Underline revisions*: Any changes made to the manuscript should be highlighted to facilitate its review by editors and reviewers. (Corrections made to be approved by the editor, see text for reference)
3. *Cover letter*: A cover letter explaining the details of the reviews and responses to referee comments is required. (a proof of review is attached with the details that works as a cover letter)
4. *Recommended references*: If reviewers suggest additional references, the author should critically analyze them and include them only if they improve the manuscript. (must be done by the authors)
5. Sending the revised version: The revised version will be sent to the editors and reviewers. (revised version dated 03/30/2024 is attached)
6. Revisions in English: An extensive revision was carried out in the target language (English),

Cordially

The authors

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 3

Reviewer 2 Report

Congratulations on the article. Good luck in your future research.