Empowering farmers for increased resilience in uncertain times

Animal Production Science - Tập 55 Số 7 - Trang 843 - 2015
Ruth Nettle1, Margaret Ayre1, Ruth Beilin2, Sharon Waller1, LR Turner3, Andy Hall3, LD Irvine3, Greg Taylor4
1Rural Innovation Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
2Landscape Sociology Group, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
3Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, PO Box 3523, Burnie TAS 7320, Australia
4DairyNZ, Corner Ruakura and Morrinsville Roads, Newstead, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.

Tóm tắt

As farmers continue to face increasingly uncertain and often rapidly changing conditions related to markets, climate or the policy environment, people involved in agricultural research, development and extension (RD&E) are also challenged to consider how their work can contribute to supporting farmer resilience. Research from the social sciences conducted in the past decade has focussed on adaptability or adaptive capacity as a key attribute for individuals and groups to possess for managing resilience. It is, therefore, timely to ask the following: do current ways of doing and organising RD&E in the dairy sector in New Zealand and Australia contribute to supporting farm adaptability? This paper reports on results from an examination of case studies of challenges to resilience in the dairy sector in Australia and New Zealand (i.e. dairy farm conversion, climate-change adaptation, consent to farm) and the contribution of dairy RD&E in enhancing resilience of farmers, their farms and the broader industry. Drawing on concepts from resilience studies and considering an empowerment perspective, the analysis of these cases suggest that, currently, agricultural RD&E supports adaptability in general, but varies in the strength of its presence and level of activity in the areas known to enhance adaptability. This analysis is used to generate principles for dairy scientists and others in the RD&E system to consider in (1) research designs, (2) engaging different farmers in research and (3) presenting research results differently. This represents a significant shift for the science and advisory communities to move to methods that acknowledge uncertainty and facilitate learning.

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Animal Production Science

Tập 55 Số 7

843

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