DITSL does applied research on knowledge management, learning, and collective action, facilitates multi-stakeholder processes, and employs collaborative learning methods with actor groups to co-identify improvement options and foster rural innovation in different agricultural systems and value chains.

DITSL has gained a reputation for doing innovative and practice-oriented research with small-scale farmers and pastoral livestock keepers in Africa, Latin America and Asia, often with active involvement of other actors along food supply chains, including for example traders, food processors and consumers.

Our projects apply a multi-actor approach and combine technological and social innovations. Gender and equity considerations are an integral part of our work in order to create accessible solutions.

Low external input livestock systems, smallholder farming systems, and organic farming systems are fields of particular interest and expertise.

DITSL's research projects and networks: