Participative Learning for the Future: using interactive farmer-research networks in the devolpment of new plant production systems in The Netherlands
J.W.A. Langeveld, Jet Proost · Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling · 2004
The paper analyses an ongoing process in a national project on the development of sustainable arable plant production systems in The Netherlands ('Farming with a Future' or Fwf in short).In the project, farmers, researchers and advisors co-operate to realise government's environmental objectives within a short period of time.Intensive fertilisation practices are a pressing problem in Dutch agriculture, especially for nitrogen application, per hectare of agricultural land the highest in Europe.Part of the project strategy was to incorporate learning into the change process.This was strived for by making specific adjustments in the project setup for the facilitation of more effective knowledge transfer, feedback and reflection.The paper discusses how this was done and with what effect.The structure of the regional networks fostered interaction between major stakeholders, creating the basis for learning in FwF.The choice to set up diverse, multi-disciplinary platforms for data exchange has contributed to the creation of effective learning conditions.This is also the case for the synchronous execution of three research programs, and certainly holds for the on-farm trials that have been held.