Establishing and institutionalizing National Agricultural Innovation System in Iran

  In this article we aim at reviewing the institutional developments and paradigms of agricultural research systems in different historical eras. After delineating the basic features of agricultural researches, this article is to point out that these institutional developments demonstrate a move towards the use of system approach in the process of designing agricultural research systems as well as facilitating the more participation of stakeholders in designing, implementation and evaluation of agricultural research goals, policies and plans.   Then we aim at studying the developments of agricultural system in Iran and pointing out that many of Iranian public research institutes have been established during the past eight decades. We claim that Iranian agricultural research system is in the primary phase of institutionalization and this is contrary to considerable institutional capacities existing in the country. Iranian agricultural research system has not been developed with the aim of integrating different capacities and actors around a common focal point and has not changed itself to create a synergic virtue among them. It has been recommended to consider such issues in overall policy making process, to establish a National Agricultural Research System (NARS) in Iran being able to institutionalize Agricultural Knowledge & Information System (AKIS) and, ultimately, to achieve National Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS).