Combining social learning with agro-ecological research practice for more effective management of nitrate pollution

Abstract

The path of research followed by a team of agro-ecologists who sought to address a complex\nenvironment issue by means of a social learning approach is described. Agro-ecological data\nfrom monitoring nitrates in surface and ground water and agricultural practices at microcatchment\nscale provided the material for the process. The failure of scientists to deploy\nscientific data effectively in order to influence agro-environment policy implementation\nwas attributed to an ineffective linear transfer of knowledge approach. Thereafter, on\naccount of co-learning instances with new research team members with a background\nin participatory action research, new assumptions were made and the agro-ecologists began\nto view nitrates no longer as a technical problem but rather as an issue emerging from\ninteractions between ecological and human factors. A new process was designed: ecological\ndata were introduced as ‘‘socio-technical objects’’, integrated into ‘‘dialogical tools’’ and\nused to de-construct the issue during participatory sessions and to identify strategies for\nconcerted actions. These activities fostered stakeholder engagement and led to an array of\ninterlinked emergent practices. The underlying model developed for placing scientific agroecology\ndata into society can be effective in building relations with stakeholders for the\npurposes of knowledge management and for helping to elucidate competing claims around\ncomplex agro-environment issues.