What does the agri-food systems transformation agenda mean for agricultural research organisations? Exploring organisational prototypes for uncertain futures

Agricultural Research Organisations (AROs) are being urgently called to provide solutions for agri-food system transformation. However, contrasting visions of how transformation should be achieved create difficult choices for AROs. This paper reviews existing transformation narratives to build four scenarios of future AROs: 1. Industry transition-oriented; 2. Technology mission-oriented; 3. The Community innovation-oriented; and 4. Facilitating transformative innovation-oriented. Their analysis uncovers possible risks and trade-offs, and suggests the need for new hybrid organisational forms that incorporate elements from across the scenarios. Besides, the paper highlights that given the broad industry, policy, and societal interests of AROs, decisions about transformation pathways cannot be made unilaterally and without broader discussion around the future shape and aims of innovation systems in which these organisations are embedded.