Strategic Value of Agricultural Business Networks in Sustaining Common Goods (original) (raw)
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This synthesis report is one deliverable of the European project PRO AKIS (Prospects for Farmer’s Support: Advisory Services in European AKIS). The project focus was to investigate the agricultural advisory services across Europe within the context of Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS). One of the project components (Work Package 4) was to explore and describe selected forms of advisory services and agriculture knowledge flows in Europe within the broader context of AKIS by focusing three major themes (Topics 1, 2 and 3) through a case study approach. Topic 1 investigated the effectiveness of advisory services to respond small‐scale farmer’s needs and demands; Topic 2 the capability of AS to bridge research and knowledge needs of farmers; Topic 3 analysed how rural/agricultural networks enhance farmer’s ability to innovate in cooperation with other rural actors. Research in each topic was based on a set of four case studies, and a total of 12 case studies were conducted in different European countries, including both cases with regional and national scope. The selected case studies provide an overview of the diversity of situations across the European Union (EU) respecting the strengths and gaps of AS for each of the research topics covered by the analysis. Each case study was reported by the respective responsible team through a ‘country report’. A total of 12 ‘country reports’ were elaborated. The synthesis reports summarise in a comparative way the main findings for each of the three research topics, based on the country reports and including the contributions of stakeholders that have participated in the respective topic seminar. Three synthesis seminars have been organised, each one corresponding to a different research topic, and finally three synthesis reports were elaborated. The report here presented synthesises the research conducted under the PRO AKIS project for the topic 3: Designing, implementing and maintaining agricultural/rural networks to enhance farmers’ ability to innovate in cooperation with other rural actors. It includes a brief description of the five case studies undertook under this research topic, which were: 1) policy‐induced agricultural innovation network in Brandenburg, Germany (‘Adapting seeds to climate change’); 2) the ‘Anti‐Mafia innovation network: from land to fork’ (abbreviated as ‘Anti‐Mafia’), a rural network situated in the Northern part of the Campania region in Southern Italy; 3) the ‘Cluster of Small Fruits’ (CSF), a sectoral and nationwide Portuguese network; 4) a berry pest‐monitoring local network, situated in the Central‐North of Portugal; and 5) the ‘Monitor Farms’ which are farmer‐driven networks set‐up by the Scottish Monitor Programme implemented by the Scottish government with delivery partners including levy bodies such as Quality Meat Scotland. The case studies selected evidenced that the agricultural and rural innovation networks’ configuration and dynamic exhibited a high degree of heterogeneity. This is largely explained by the diversity of problems and solutions they addressed, whereas being as well a result of other factors, namely: 1) the presence of substantial differences in the national and regional AKIS across Europe; 2) different funding opportunities; 3) the diversity of the socio‐economic and cultural contexts where they were established. Notwithstanding the heterogeneity displayed, all the selected networks played a role in the local or regional, or even national AKIS, by filling gaps or complementing the functions of other players. All the studied networks can be evaluated as best‐fit cases of advisory models by themselves. However their success regarding this advice function is heavily depending on the quality of the supporting services from the existent knowledge and advisory infrastructure. In addition, in most of the cases, the networks are temporary and for that reason they shouldn’t be envisaged as an alternative to conventional advisory models. All the selected networks underpin well‐performing knowledge flows namely respecting the exchange of knowledge, information and experiences. These are a result and at the same time an input of the co‐creation of knowledge and innovation processes taking place within the networks. The interactive collective learning processes stimulated by the networks enhance farmer’s ability to co‐create knowledge and innovations by sharing common problems and looking collectively for solutions 5 (problem‐solving focused innovation) and also by discovering new ways of doing things and thinking as a result of exchanging ideas, information and experiences with different actors within different contexts. Hence, these innovation networks leverage most notably small‐scale and incremental innovations, non‐tech innovations, such as organizational, behavioural or social innovations, and innovation with low R&D incorporation, which produce small and cumulative changes and improvements that often go unnoticed. The networks ability to induce well‐performing knowledge flows respecting the co‐creation of knowledge and innovation along with the exchange (and the storage in same cases) of data and information enable them to fill gaps in the conventional linkages of the research sector both, with the advisory services, and with the farmers knowledge needs. In addition, the networks might show a useful model to generate technical locally‐specific knowledge and the adaptation of scientific and synthetized knowledge to the local specific contexts (which are fundamental aspects of an AKIS enabling to overcome the productivity and sustainability challenges of EU agriculture). The effectiveness demonstrated by the networks to enhance the processes of co‐creation and knowledge exchange and of co‐innovation are largely a result of three main features: 1) the multiple actor’s dimension, by joining together actors from the various areas of the AKIS, which are often apart, in particular researchers, farmers and advisors; 2) the horizontal and multi‐directional social interactions between individual and grouped actors within the network, which also bring‐in to the network the knowledge, skills and information the actors get from their connections outside the network; 3) supporting multiple formats and methods of interaction, since formal talks, workshops, field trials, farm visits and in‐farm experiences, to ICT communication and demonstration activities, which extent largely the scope, duration and the intensity of the interactions between the actors. The network features which show decisive data to encourage the farmer’s adherence encompass: 1) offering effective opportunities to meet and interact with diverse actors, in particular researchers, experienced technicians, leader (or ‘good’, or’ pioneer’) farmers, and other advisors (e.g., from whom they can get advice on legislation or business management aspects); 2) addressing topics which are relevant for farmers, in particular when addressed in a practical manner (e.g., on‐farm demonstrations, or involving farmers in problem‐solving); 3) facilitating the enter/exit of the network and the absence of fees attached to the participation(in addition to the costs the farmers show willing to bear, related with time, traveling and also their own land for experiment and trials); 4) the previous inter‐personal and/or professional interactions, along with the opportunity of socialising and creating and/or enlarging own personal and professional social networks. The conclusions of the case studies together with the stakeholder’s contributions suggested a number of leading recommendations, from which are stated: Do not overlook the need to account for the diversity of eventually supported networks, diversity in structure, contents and dynamics. Target diversity, i.e., small, simple, easily manageable solutions versus complex, more fuzzy solutions, also with a broader variety of actors, which might have more transformative potential. Support innovative, ‘strong’ actors, which can provide more resources and have an advantage specifically in the field of new technologies and supporting a variety of socio‐economic groups, which will develop innovations fitting their specific needs. Acknowledge and support small‐scale and incremental cumulative innovation patterns as well as smart mixes of technical, social, organisational and institutional innovation. Account for farmer’s innovation as main drivers, which comprise productivity and sustainability, but also profitability and other social gains. Do not underestimate the farmers’ role as co‐creators and converters of knowledge as well as innovators. Try to find a good balance between flexibility and stability of supported networks
European Conference on Knowledge Management
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2021
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