enhancing integrated approaches in agricultural learning systems using experiences from agroforestry...
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Enhancing Integrated Approaches in Agricultural Learning Systems
using experiences from agroforestry
August Temu, World Agroforestry Centre
Per Rudebjer, Bioversity International
Presented at: 2nd World Congress of AgroforestryNairobi, Kenya, 25 August 2009
Session 24: Integrating disciplines through agroforestry education
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Structurally complex
Crops, animals, trees, NTFPs
Off-farm work
Policy influence
Market influence
Traditional knowledge
Risk mitigation
Social & institutional
factors
Intuitive sense of how to manage integrated systems
Integrated farming systems
3
Universities’ segregated organization of knowledge
Agriculture
Veterinary science
Fisheries
Animal science
Forestry
Agricultural technology
Natural sciences
Economics and management
Human ecology
4
Reductionist learning systems
• Knowledge un-packed into bits and pieces• 1st year: great number of un-connected,
small courses• Synthesis courses towards the end of the
programme• Employment in a segregated professional
system
Mis-match between farming systems and learning systems
5
Agroforestry sciencetools and methods for integrated approaches
Participatory domestication of fruit trees
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Enhancing integrated learning through agroforestry
educational networks in Africa & SE Asia
• 200 universities and technical colleges• Participatory curriculum design and review• Training
· curriculum development· social and technical areas of agroforestry
• Teaching and learning resources• Research opportunities in international context • Networking & exchange of faculty and students• Policy advocacy for integration of disciplines
7
Strategies for integration in curricula
1. Incremental inclusion in courses and programmes· Opportunistic inclusion in existing courses· New courses during curriculum review· Major in agroforestry, or full programme,
especially at MSc level
2. Agroforestry as alternative discipline· Agroforestry: new professional area
(Philippines)
3. Integration during institutional re-structuring· Mergers of faculties and departments
8
Lessons learned
• Changes taking place within existing institutional structures
• Uneven, slow adoption of integrated approaches
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Lessons learnedconstraints to mainstreaming
External environment• Rigid job markets and career pathways• Policy restrictions• Sectorized professional networks
Institutional structures and behaviour• Disciplinary boundaries in faculties and
departments• ‘Turf’ issues• Conservatism and resistance to change
10
Education and research processes
• Slow, rigid process for curriculum change
• Segregated, reductionist research programmes· Focus on bio-physical sciences· Lacking multi-disciplinary approach
• Few publication outlets for integrated approaches to science
Constraints to mainstreaming
11
Human capacity
• Low competence in ‘soft’ sciences among bio-physical faculty & vice versa
• Limited acquaintance with integrated tools and methods for research and teaching
Constraints to mainstreaming
12
Lessons learnedSuccess factors
• Visionary goals• Consistent, long-term effort• Using opportunities within on-going
courses· ‘back-door’ approach to curriculum change
• Timing with regular curriculum review• Champions • Trained faculty & leaders• Participation of stakeholders• Align with national policy framework
13
Drivers of global change how will universities respond?
DRIVER INTEGRATED RESPONSES
SEGREGATED RESPONSES
Increased food production
agroforestry food high-yielding modern crop varieties & high-input systems
Enhancing nutrition
more diverse food and agriculture systems
genetically enhanced commodity crops
Biofuels mixing biofuel crops into farming systems
monoculture biofuel crops
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DRIVER INTEGRATED RESPONSES
SEGREGATED RESPONSES
Markets for agriculture products
novel crops & neglected and underutilized species
high-quality crops (e.g. speciality coffee, cacao)
clearing forests for crop cultivation or pasture
Biodiversity conservation
landscape approach • separate conservation and production
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DRIVER INTEGRATED RESPONSES
SEGREGATED RESPONSES
Adaptation to climate change
agriculture for resilience and risk mitigation
using inter- and intra-specific diversity in crops and trees
better land management, in watersheds & riparian zones
promoting a few resilient / genetically modified crop varieties
Climate change mitigation
carbon storage in agroforestry systems
REDD
monoculture tree plantations under the Clean Development Mechanism
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Actions requireduniversities
• Address complex, integrated systems in curricula
• Teach innovation systems approaches • Participatory problem-solving as a learning
tool• Dealing with both depth and width of
problems, e.g. drivers of global change• Discuss trade-offs and feedback mechanisms
17
Actions requiredpolicies
• Acknowledge integrated knowledge and skills
• Review institutional structures and processes to facilitate multi-disciplinary problem solving
• Create incentives for integrated approaches· Recognize and reward biodiverse, complex
farming systems· Role of agroforestry and agricultural biodiversity
in adaptation to climate change
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Responses to global challenges?
Education for sustainable agricultural development
Integratedsolutions
Segregatedsolutions
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