Triple helix model for rice value chain in Kenya

In many emerging economies Agriculture has potential for not only solving the food security challenge but more crucially driving the larger economic transformation and thus improving livelihoods. However agricultural value chains continue to be besieged by many challenges that see highly underdeveloped value chains. Locally relevant innovations are needed to solve the challenges as well as innovations in technologies, business models, and policy and social innovations. The triple helix model has potential to provide the needed innovations as it brings key local actors, in particular industry, academia and government in deliberately structured relations to drive and commercialise innovations. We explore how the triple helix model can help upgrade the rice value chain in Kenya and support the local economic development of the rice growing region. The study finds significant potential for not only improving productivity (by about one third more rice) while lowering production cost and upgrading the value chain, but also potential for developing a rice cluster that can be basis for emergence of a dynamic agro-processing sector. The points to potential of triple helix model to drive local economic development in emerging countries.