Sixth IFSA European Symposium Vila Real, Portugal April 4 - 7, 2004

1. Sixth IFSA European SymposiumVila Real, PortugalApril 4 - 7, 2004 Workshop 4 Knowing and Learning: Labour and skills at stake for a multidimensional agriculture

2. Workshop 4 in Vila Real: 5 sessions • 4/4, 15h30-17h: Learning processes to foster new skills • 4/4, 17h30-19h: Action-Research and participatory approaches at stake • 6/4, 9h-11h: Multidimensional agriculture, networks to manage skills • 6/4, 11h30-13h: Extension and advising: new skills required • 6/4, 15h-16h30: Innovation and R&D at stake • 7/4, 11h30-13h: discussion about the final report • 7/4, 15h-17h: final report in plenary • permanent poster exhibition

3. Networking as a means of developing skills • Multidimensional farming is a question of reconnecting farming, society and environment Investing in children through linking schools and farms has been one successful example • Networking should focus on a co-evolutionary approach as opposed to a control approach Efforts should be on taking away barriers to this • The role of science should be to take seriously other forms of knowing (e.g. pre-rational awareness and meaning and people’s passion to work towards change. In this we should learn ways to become sensitive to levels of energy=beneficial/negative

4. Innovation and R&D at stake • R&D face challenges regarding: - social responsibility of economic operators - complexity • The role of partnership structures: - multidisciplinary exchange data platform - stakeholders groups - more fluid distribution of R&D role and function including national/regional • Innovation in this situation implies research places knowledge in society in a new way

5. Action-Research and participatory approaches at stake (1) 1. About participation and partnership: • FSR has a role to improve the performance of partnerships (a “mediating” and a research one) • Defining the boundaries around the form of participation and addressing equality in participation can assist stakeholder and participant understanding of their realm of practice. • The question of « trust » in establishing a partnership with farmers, donors… Towards a more « contractual » relation… will help define wich type of trust is necessary, and suficient, to work together • It may help to try to avoid: • confusions of roles with farmers organisations or farmers learders; • manipulations, just as researchers by donors or by farmers organisations…

6. Action-Research and participatory approaches at stake (2) • 2. About the quality of action research/action learning and evaluation: More value can come from the reporting of fsr projects involving action learning, action research & evaluation by: • roles of the researcher/author identified and discussed, • audience for the evaluation/al/ar project defined, • try to go beyond the “symmetry” illusion between partners and beyond consensual vision of communities • form of participation and approach/limits to participation defined • appropriate generalisations made in line with the methodology This requires a standard way of writing/reporting that can reduce confusion by readers about process, methodology and outcomes of action research and participatory work.

7. Action-Research and participatory approaches at stake (3) • 3. About adviser capacity in action research: • Through effective action research and participative processes fsr can support science in handling different knowledge types (different worldviews, non-human knowledge). • Supporting advisory capacity in action research processes and methodologies through workplace projects is a way to develop an appreciation for the value of action research processes.

8. Legal rationality Result rationality New modes for public action legitimization Consensus rationality Evolution of : - skills of rural stakeholders and development workers - knowledge and action modes Why extension is at stake ? Global trends influencing extension

9. Extension and advising: new skills required • In this process, there is a need for a new balance of “artistic” and professional skills and more reflection on this balance • Different skills and competencies are at stake in different situations. It is necessary to master the putting in place the right skills and competencies in the right situation. • Extension increasingly requires: - competencies to engage in, create and facilitate meaningful relationships - researching and reflecting its own practice

10. Learning processes to foster new skills • Be explicit about the learning processes and skills we need and have (or have not) when initiating and supporting change – particularly in situations of conflict. • As the roles of ’experts’ across Europe change and they join networks with other equally important stakeholders, co-learning about our contexts is needed to develop shared views of problems and ways of improving. • Increased focus on the dynamics of learning (timing, continuity of dialogue, feedback, people and project interactions)is needed in some situations.