Agricultural research and development (AR4D) systems are basic to finding the long-term solutions to the sources and motors of recurrent crises. AR4D in post-conflict and protracted crises countries invariably suffers from poor research infrastructure and financial means, high staff turnover and loss, weak regional and international collaborative research ties, and virtually in-existent intra-country collaboration between research, universities, producer organisations and the private sector. Nevertheless, the post-conflict environment offers a window of opportunity for re-inventing the agricultural innovation system in view of changing (inter) national contexts and development agendas.