Abstract
The knowledge and communication gap often existing between researchers and farmers has traditionally been bridged by top-down 'extension' approaches, where a technological innovation or practice change is developed by scientists and technicians and communicate to farmers with the expectation that some will 'adopt' it and others will gradually follow. There is, however, growing recognition of the limitations of top down extension approaches, and a global move towards more participatory and collaborative approaches to research and extension. An example of a more collaborative approach is a new learning model that emerged in the Developing Approaches to Enhance Farmer Water Management Skills in Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan (LWR-2014 074) project supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). As well as facilitating farmers in learning about irrigation and water management, and thus enhancing their capacities, FILM helped farmers learn about how they are learning so that they can teach others. FILM also assisted with the engagement of other relevant stakeholders from Government of Pakistan ministries and departments, NGOs, researchers and private service providers. Reflecting on the importance of this as a means to enable collaboration with farmers on practical on-ground research, FILM then evolved into the Rural Research Engagement and Learning Model (R2EaLM) as part of the ACIAR funded Adapting to Salinity in the Southern Indus Basin (LWR-2017-027) project that started in 2021, and has continued to evolve. Realising that the engagement of the broadest range of stakeholders, from farmers to policymakers, had been enhanced using R2EaLM, the name has undergone another iteration to become Stakeholder Engagement for Research and Learning (SERL). This new title, with its reference to stakeholders, acknowledges that all those who have a stake in further improving rural livelihoods and agricultural practices and policies are to be actively engaged in both learning and teaching each other about how these improvements can be achieved. Such an approach is essential as it actively involves ALL stakeholders as equal participants.
Original language | English |
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Place of Publication | Albury Australia |
Publisher | Charles Sturt University |
Commissioning body | Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research |
Number of pages | 45 |
Volume | 1 |
Edition | 1 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781864674408 |
Publication status | Published - 25 Oct 2023 |