Becoming an Agroecologist through Action Education

Lieblein, Geir; Østergaard, Edvin; Francis, Charles

doi:10.1080/14735903.2004.9684574

Cited by 63 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…These are connected and structured in networks and groups ( Flora & Flora 1996;Cramb & Culasero 2003;Pretty 2003). (iii) Human capital is the total capability residing in individuals, based on their stock of knowledge skills, health and nutrition (Orr 1992;Byerlee 1998;Leeuwis 2004;Lieblin et al 2004). It is enhanced by access to services such as schools, medical services and adult training.…”

Section: Capital Assets For Agricultural Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These transition costs arise for several reasons. Farmers must first invest in learning (Orr 1992;Röling & Wagermakers 1997;Bentley et al 2003;Lieblin et al 2004;Bawden 2005;Chambers 2005). As recent and current policies have tended to promote specialized, non-adaptive systems with a lower innovation capacity, farmers have to spend time learning about a greater diversity of practices and measures (Gallagher et al 2005;Kesavan & Swaminathan 2008).…”

Section: Improving Natural Capital For Agroecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence

Pretty

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

1,376

746

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Concerns about sustainability in agricultural systems centre on the need to develop technologies and practices that do not have adverse effects on environmental goods and services, are accessible to and effective for farmers, and lead to improvements in food productivity. Despite great progress in agricultural productivity in the past half-century, with crop and livestock productivity strongly driven by increased use of fertilizers, irrigation water, agricultural machinery, pesticides and land, it would be over-optimistic to assume that these relationships will remain linear in the future. New approaches are needed that will integrate biological and ecological processes into food production, minimize the use of those non-renewable inputs that cause harm to the environment or to the health of farmers and consumers, make productive use of the knowledge and skills of farmers, so substituting human capital for costly external inputs, and make productive use of people's collective capacities to work together to solve common agricultural and natural resource problems, such as for pest, watershed, irrigation, forest and credit management. These principles help to build important capital assets for agricultural systems: natural; social; human; physical; and financial capital. Improving natural capital is a central aim, and dividends can come from making the best use of the genotypes of crops and animals and the ecological conditions under which they are grown or raised. Agricultural sustainability suggests a focus on both genotype improvements through the full range of modern biological approaches and improved understanding of the benefits of ecological and agronomic management, manipulation and redesign. The ecological management of agroecosystems that addresses energy flows, nutrient cycling, population-regulating mechanisms and system resilience can lead to the redesign of agriculture at a landscape scale. Sustainable agriculture outcomes can be positive for food productivity, reduced pesticide use and carbon balances. Significant challenges, however, remain to develop national and international policies to support the wider emergence of more sustainable forms of agricultural production across both industrialized and developing countries.

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Section: Capital Assets For Agricultural Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Improving Natural Capital For Agroecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence

Pretty

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

1,376

746

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To enable students to shift from a theory-based to an experience-based way of learning, it was important to engage and motivate the students right from the start, to place them and their learning process in the center of course activities [12]. In this course this was done by having all students present their competences and previous education and experiences during the first day of the course.…”

Section: The Sustainable Agriculture Coursementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We consider experiential learning to be vital for enabling students to acquire the competencies needed for them to constructively be able to support a sustainable development of farming and food systems [12,13]. A learning process based on experiences [14] allows students to observe, act and interact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating Transformation and Competence Development in Sustainable Agriculture University Education: An Experiential and Action Oriented Approach

Migliorini

Lieblein

2016

Sustainability

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Abstract:The need to strengthen the connection between academia and society has received increased attention over the past years. The importance of bringing university students closer to stakeholders in society as part of their learning process is high regarding sustainable agriculture, because of its applied approach. University programs based on experiential and action-oriented learning have been developed over the past decades, but more knowledge is needed about the impact of these educational activities. In a short course in sustainable agriculture at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra, Italy, we examined the impacts of experiential and action-oriented learning on competency development as well as transformational impacts on the students. We found that students improve on several core competences as a result of their participation in the short course, and also signs of deep transformational processes among the students.

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“…It will not be successful if it is limited by the instructors' visions of the future. From this emerges our notion of the need to focus on how students and faculty can become agroecologists (Lieblein et al, 2000;Lieblein et al, 2004). This is important because students are becoming professionals in a new field, and instructors are continually becoming better agroecologists through their interactions with students, finding different points of view, and continuing to find new ways of seeing things (Bowden and Marton, 1998).…”

Section: Becoming An Agroecologist Through Action Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Responsible Action through Agroecological Education

Lieblein¹,

Francis²

2007

Ital J Agronomy

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In the Agroecology MSc Program in the Nordic Region, conventional training of routine skills and memorizing facts, principles and theories are only two components of the educational activities. We have established a dual learning ladder metaphor to explore the expanded learning process. To establish context and build relevance, student teams begin their studies in agroecology by working with farmers and other key clients in the food system. After exploring the current situation, students can step down the learning ladder to acquire additional needed information and skills. Next they explore the links between theory and application, and we provide a safe space to experiment with putting knowledge into directed action. To help clients plan for a desirable future in farming and food systems, students step up the learning ladder to practice their ability to think creatively about the future, and then to evaluate the expected impacts and potential implications of alternative scenarios. Underlying the learning of skills, principles, and methods for action are the internal values and attitudes that will motivate and drive students in their future work. These include individual learning as a process of practicing, assimilating, connecting, creating, and acting with responsibility. In this paper we describe the educational process used in agroecology, with the dual learning ladder as metaphor for both cognitive learning and personal growth.

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Becoming an Agroecologist through Action Education

Cited by 63 publications

References 8 publications

Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence

Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence

Facilitating Transformation and Competence Development in Sustainable Agriculture University Education: An Experiential and Action Oriented Approach

Towards Responsible Action through Agroecological Education

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