Understanding APAARI’s Role in Scaling
“Many of our colleagues in national systems are already engaged in scaling activities — but they often don’t recognize it as ‘scaling.’”
— Dr. Sartas, Chief Scaling and Impact Officer, APAARI
APAARI plays a critical role in supporting agricultural transformation at the grassroots level by working closely with national agricultural systems, ministries, and partners who are driving implementation on the ground.
As Dr. Sartas explains, one of the early insights was that national actors are already engaged in various forms of scaling — but often under different labels such as dissemination, engagement, or extension. These are all vital components of scaling. However, without recognizing and framing them as scaling, institutions miss opportunities to attract investment, strengthen systems, and showcase their impact.
Strengthening Scaling Management Capabilities
APAARI focuses on working with existing national institutions rather than creating parallel structures. Many national organizations are already mandated to support scaling; the key is to strengthen their capacity to do so strategically.
Through targeted consultations and surveys, APAARI identified the first key demand from national systems: Strengthening scaling management capabilities.
Many countries are developing multiple innovations, but the real challenge lies in identifying which innovations work best for their specific contexts. Scaling management helps navigate this complexity.
APAARI supports national partners to:
- Analyze their innovation portfolios through a scaling lens
- Recognize existing scaling activities, even if fragmented
- Apply global approaches such as:
The Scaling Readiness framework developed by CGIAR
FAO’s Science, Technology and Innovation Portal
This helps organizations systematically operationalize scaling and align their innovations with national and regional priorities.
Measuring Scaling: Smarter and Faster
Measurement is often perceived as one of the toughest parts of scaling, especially in complex systems. However, with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools, measuring scaling has become faster, smarter, and more cost-effective.
APAARI works with national systems to:
- Introduce suitable indicators and measurement tools
- Enable real-time tracking of scaling progress
- Diagnose underlying reasons for progress or stagnation
- Strengthen data systems for better decision-making
By demystifying measurement, APAARI empowers national institutions to manage scaling with greater confidence and precision.
Beyond Technology: AI as a Tool for Transformation
Across the region, Artificial Intelligence is gaining momentum in agriculture. Yet, it’s often viewed merely as a technology to be developed. APAARI takes a different perspective: the real impact comes not from developing AI, but from effectively using it in the system.
For many low- and middle-income countries, resources are limited. When AI funding becomes available, countries often focus on developing new technologies. While valuable, this may not always yield the highest impact. Instead, integrating AI into existing workflows — in ministries, research systems, and agricultural businesses — offers more immediate and sustainable benefits.
Countries like China, India, and Malaysia are already advancing AI development, which is commendable. But the true potential lies in adoption and practical use across systems.
APAARI collaborates with ministries and its own organizational colleagues to:
- Understand existing workflows (who does what, how knowledge flows, and how funding moves)
- Identify operational gaps and pain points
- Match AI capabilities to specific workflow needs
This approach is what we refer to as “building human-elevating AI capabilities.”
Adaptability: The Real Challenge of AI Integration
While the promise of AI in agriculture is immense, adaptability remains the most challenging part of system transformation.
Integrating AI into national agricultural systems involves more than technical installation. It requires:
- Institutional readiness — Structures and leadership commitment
- Capacity building — training staff to understand and apply AI tools confidently
- Cultural change — shifting organizational mindsets to embrace data-driven decision-making
- Sustainability planning — ensuring tools can be maintained and adapted over time
Many AI solutions fail to generate benefit at scale not because the technology is weak, but because institutions are not strategic enough to deploy the technologies based on the strength and weaknesses of their existing systems and human and financial resources.
APAARI’s focus is to bridge this gap by working from within organizational and national system workflows, identifying what can realistically be adopted, and building step-by-step pathways for integration. This human-centered, adaptive approach ensures that AI does not remain a high-level concept but becomes a practical tool that improves efficiency, transparency, and impact.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
Written By : Ms. Darshika P. Senadheera, Communication officer, APAARI
Dr. Murat Sartas, Chief Scaling & Impact Officer, APAARI
