Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture: Participatory Learning and Adaptive Management in Times of Environmental Uncertainty

by N. G. Roling, M. A. E. Wagemakers

Overview

A move toward more flexible, sustainable agricultural practices is increasingly being seen as the way to address or avoid environmental and economic problems associated with existing, predominantly intensive, farming systems. Through case studies taken from around the world, this book examines the implications of adopting more ecologically sound agricultural practices, at both individual farmer and larger-scale agro-ecosystems levels. The emphasis of the book is on human and social aspects, rather than on agronomic or economic considerations. The authors focus on the learning processes necessary to initiate and to facilitate learning through participatory approaches and appropriate institutional support and policy structure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521581745
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/12/1998
Pages:	348
Product dimensions:	6.18(w) x 9.29(h) x 1.42(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. A new practice: facilitating sustainable agriculture N. Röling and A. Wagemakers; 2. Supportive policies and practices for scaling up sustainable agriculture J. Pretty; 3. The second wing of the eagles: the human dimension in learning our way to more sustainable futures J. Woodhill and N. Röling; Part II. Environmental Policies and Farmers' Reactions: 4. Developing standards for sustainable farming in the Swiss Alps M. Roux and A. Blum; 5. Extension functions and farmers' attitudes in Greece A. Koutsouris and D. Papadopoulos; 6. Integrated arable farming in the Netherlands W. van Weperen, M. Proost and N. Röling; Part III. Farmer Learning, Its Facilitation and Supportive Institutions: 7. Learning about sustainable agriculture: the case of Dutch arable farmers; 8. The diffusion of eco-farming in Germany A. Gerber and V. Hoffmann; 9. Transforming extension for sustainable agriculture: the case of integrated pest management in rice in Indonesia N. Röling and E. van de Fliert; 10. Co-learning tools: powerful instruments of change in southern Queensland, Australia G. Hamilton; 11. A social harvest reaped from a promise of springtime. User-responsive, participatory agricultural research in Asia G. T. Castillo; Part IV. Platforms For Agricultural Resources Use Negotiation: 12. Integrated farming systems: a sustainable agriculture learning community in the USAJ. Fisk, O. Hesterman, and T. Thorburn; 13. Fomenting energy: experiences with facilitating landcare in Australia A. Campbell; 14. The implementation of nature policy in the Netherlands: platforms designed to fail M. Wagemans and J. Boerma; 15. The communication between farmers and government over nature: a new approach to policy development C. van Woerkum and M. Aarts; Part V. Synthesis: 16. The ecological knowledge system; About the authors; List of figures; Tables; Boxes; List of abbreviations and acronyms; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"On the whole, the book represents a welcome departure from much of the technical literature on sustainable agriculture and is refreshingly frank about the social nature of environmental dilemmas and the range of uncertainties inherent in the challenge of achieving sustainable agriculture, but is fundamentally optimistic in placing the challenge at the heart of human experience." Conservation Ecology

From the Publisher