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

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Universities’ segregated organization of knowledge

Agriculture

Veterinary science

Fisheries

Animal science

Forestry

Agricultural technology

Natural sciences

Economics and management

Human ecology

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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Thank you!