Innovation for future agriculture Rural Futures Conference September 2009 Mark Paine
Outline Technical innovation Catalysing change Utilising knowledge
Traditional innovation process Commericalisation ResearchDevelopmentExtension 2.5% Innovators Early majority 34% Late majority 34% --++ Early adopters 13.5% 16% Laggards -2 unfreezechangerefreeze Schein, 1980
Variable% of studiesNo. of studies Education74275 Literacy6338 Higher social status68402 Larger-size businesses67227 Commercial orientation7128 Studies with +ve relationship between adoption index and other variables (Adapted from Van den Ban and Hawkins, 1985)
Changes in agricultural innovation regimes First Green Revolution ( ) Second Green ( ) Key technologiesPlant breeding, mechanisation, fertilisers Biotechnology, genomics Key innovation actorsPublic Institutes, International Centres for Ag’Research Multinational corporations, Universities, Public Institutes Status of innovationPublic goodPrivate good, patents Status of genetic resources Common Heritage of Mankind National Sovereignty Geopolitical contextCold War, feed the world Competition for world food markets Source : (Joly, 2003)
Challenge: Technical innovation is only part of the issue Balancing sense making perspectives Persuasion Facts Power Responsibility Efficiency Interaction Doubt Roles Self organizing Learning to learn
Dairy: The Need for a Farm Systems Focus Stewardship and Social Responsibility New Zealand Public Governments & Regulations Consumers and Trade Farm Production & Resource Use Farm Management & People The central focus is the whole farm system Farming Systems Dairy farming operates in the context of a broader world Farming systems interact and relate to the broader context
Challenge: Catalysing Innovation & Change Don’t know they don’t know Know they don’t know Seek solutions Best Management Practice Don’t care Know-how Ability to Increase Farm Performance Demand for knowledge -ve +ve
Framework for Change Well Established Best Practices Highly equivocal knowledge of practice options State of Knowledge ComponentsSystems Scope of Practice Change Voluntary Change Market MechanismsRegulation Mechanism for Practice Change Traditional Extension Broader historical scope of NZ Dairy Extension Emerging areas needing high investment to establish best practices, or be proactive to avoid regulatory control Farmer change in response to compliance or regulatory controls Farmer change in response to commercial incentives or penalties
Challenge: working with farmer knowledge
positionrepresent judge Sensemaking Researching Farming Advising Change: an interplay of practices tools methodsjargon diagnose predict Solve-retain Error-search Defining rules Experience rules
Average Policy Practitioner Perception and Expectation Scores of Practice Performance. Average Farming Practitioner Perception and Expectation Scores of Practice Performance.
We have a choice … Where to from here? Technologies speak for themselves? Drop in a specialist [people issues] at a critical stage in the program? Co-develop programs: questions about the learning, decision making and change in at establishment stage?
Conclusion How can we utilise knowledge from different disciplines to further our own domain of work? 1.Use knowledge brokers where possible 2.Use research methods that equip the practice based researcher 3.Share lessons and experiences across disciplines using a common concept of innovation