The framework derives from the experiences of other countries, mostly industrialized and more recently some developing countries, in severeral traditional and modern sectors, including agriculture. The framework is therefore particularly suited to exploring sectors where the private sector and other nongovernmental actors are playing leading roles and where firms, sectors and countries have to cope with shocks and deal with competitive pressures. These linkages are primarily fostered through policies and institutions (that refer to the rules of the game, as set by laws and regulations or simply cultural and social attitudes) that promote access, diffusion, use, adaptation and creation of new forms of knowledge in agricultural production through learning mechanisms of various sorts. R&D and science conducted within centres of excellence and premier institutions within the country and outside, is one such form of knowledge, but not the only one. If we were to assume so, what are the points of departure of African agricultural systems of innovation? First, the private sector is conspicuous largely by its absence, rather than for its proven ability for product development as is the case in the industrialized countries.