Using systems diagrams to support multi actor collaboration in Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems

Lane, Andy and Collins, Kevin (2023). Using systems diagrams to support multi actor collaboration in Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems. Systemist, 44(2) pp. 78–90.

URL: https://thesystemist.online/wp-content/uploads/202...

Abstract

European agricultural policies increasingly acknowledge the tension between the economics of food production and the common good, a collaborative imperative for agriculture to be sustainable, and adaptation to the exigencies of climate change and biodiversity loss. To address this tension, significant emphasis has been put on understanding and describing the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) that operate at different levels within different countries and doing so through graphical representations of these systems. Strong support also exists for multi-actor approaches to foster dialogue between organisations and groups within these AKIS. However, a key problem is that abstract macro-AKIS diagrams can contain assumptions and emphasise forms of knowledge and practices that do not readily support dialogue between different actors within a micro-AKIS attempting to determine innovations for more sustainable agriculture. This paper reports on diagramming techniques often used in systems practice that can enable multiple actors in a micro-AKIS to co-create mutual representations of the complex situations and choices they face as they attempt to work together more effectively and efficiently. Our findings from six Living Labs convened for the H2020 funded AgriLink project showed diagrams could be an essential tool for collaboration and collective understanding and action within a micro-AKIS. We conclude with implications for policy-making at the macro-AKIS level.

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