The process of documenting experiential knowledge in agriculture
Organiser:
Jorge Chavez-Tafur and Edith van Walsum (ILEIA)
Speakers:
Paulo Petersen, AS-PTA, Brazil
IED Afrique, Dakar, Senegal
AME, Bangalore, India
Outline:
Industrial agriculture is heavily influenced by the knowledge emerging from research institutions. In contrast, traditional agriculture involves millions of farmers and other stakeholders, all of whom have for centuries been actively experimenting, adapting and developing knowledge tailored to their specific environment. Based on the use of local resources, their work is especially relevant in fragile ecosystems, and forms the basis of what we now know as sustainable agriculture. In the context of this conference, it is relevant to look at where and how farmers build knowledge, and at the role of external stakeholders (development organisations, governmental agencies, researchers) in furthering these knowledge building processes.
In this workshop we will first discuss the process of documenting experiential knowledge in agriculture. We will then look at how a wide sharing of such knowledge can be facilitated, and how educators, extensionists and farmers make use of the information generated. Thirdly, we will explore how the systematization of learning on sustainable agriculture contributes towards a wider spread of sustainable agricultural practices, and towards changes in agricultural policies.
