Building Market Information Systems for the Agro-food Sector in Russia / Russia’s Agro-Food Sector: Towards Truly Functioning Markets. Edited by P. Wehrheim, K. Frohberg, E. Serova, J. von Braun.

The paper discusses the general need for institutional innovation in the Russian Federation. An attempt to establish a Market Information System for the agro-food sector in Tula Oblast is taken as an example illustrating specific implementation problems. From the experience gained in this case, the authors derive some recommendations for improving institutional change in the process of transition. Important issues here are the adoption of a more general approach towards human resource development, the scheduling of longer time horizons in support projects, and improved vertical and horizontal co-ordination within the institutional network.