Participatory approach for the identification of dairy industry needs in the design of research, development and extension actions: Australian and Brazilian case studies

In both Australia and Brazil there are rapid changes occurring in the macroenvironment of the dairy industry. These changes are sometimes not noticed in the microenvironment of the farm, due to the labour-intensive nature of family farms, and the traditionally weak links between production and marketing. Trends in the external environment need to be discussed in a cooperative framework, to plan integrated actions for the dairy community as a whole and to demand actions from research, development and extension (R, D & E). This paper reviews the evolution of R, D & E in terms of paradigms and approaches, the present strategies used to identify dairy industry needs in Australia and Brazil, and presents a participatory strategy to design R, D & E actions for both countries. The strategy incorporates an integration of the opinions of key industry actors ( defined as members of the dairy and associated communities), especially farm suppliers ( input market), farmers, R, D & E people, milk processors and credit providers. The strategy also uses case studies with farm stays, purposive sampling, snowball interviewing techniques, semi-structured interviews, content analysis, focus group meetings, and feedback analysis, to refine the priorities for R, D & E actions in the region.

Adaptive management and its role in managing Great Barrier Reef water quality

Adaptive management is the pathway to effective conservation, use and management of Australia’s coastal catchments and waterways. While the concepts of adaptive management are not new, applications involving both assessment and management responses are indeed limited at the national and regional scales. This paper outlines the components of a systematic framework for linking scientific knowledge, existing tools, planning approaches and participatory processes to achieve healthy regional partnerships between community, industry, government agencies and science providers to overcome institutional barriers and uncoordinated monitoring. The framework developed by the Coastal CRC (www.coastal.crc.org.au/amf/amf_index.htm) is hierarchical in the way it displays information to allow associated frameworks to be integrated, and represents a construct in which processes, information, decision tools and outcomes are brought together in a structured and transparent way for adaptive catchment and coastal management. This paper proposes how an adaptive management approach could be used to benefit the implementation of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (RWQPP).

Facilitating IPM: The role of participatory workshops

Successful, long-term implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) requires the integration of key technical and management activities and the participation of a wide range of stakeholders including farmers, researchers, extension officers, crop consultants, government agencies, and industry. A key issue that needs urgent attention is how to achieve the high quality interaction between these different groups which is necessary for sustained IPM. Problem specification and planning workshops (PSPWs) provide one means of facilitating an integrated strategy for tackling complex pest management issues. Since 1992, the Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Pest Management has facilitated over 20 PSPWs, focusing on different farming systems in Australia. This paper describes the philosophy, the process involved, and the impact that these PSPWs have had. It examines three specific cases to describe the relationship between plans and results and ways of improving impact. The results reinforce the major role that social scientists can play in providing mechanisms for collaborating with technical researchers and other partners to facilitate effective, participatory ventures in IPM.