Narrowing the Gap between Academia and Practice through Agroecology: Designing Education and Planning for Action

The Swedish project Agroecology in Practice” [AGROECOPRAC] has a mission to alleviate poverty in households that depend on small-scale farming systems. The method is to establish agroecology education in farming and food systems that are aligned with challenges in small-scale farming. We recognize o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:NACTA journal 2014-06, Vol.58 (2), p.148-154
Main Authors: Eksvärd, K., Salomonsson, L., Francis, C., Tesfay, G., Abraha, Z., Kiggundu, S. Tonny, Nassuuna, M. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural development
Agricultural education
Agricultural Occupations
Agricultural Science
Agricultural Skills
Agriculture
Agroecology
Agroecosystems
Appropriate Technology
College students
Course Content
Curricula
Design
Didactics
Didaktik
Dryland farming
Educational Methods
Experiential learning
Farmers
Farming systems
Farms
Formative Evaluation
Households
Introductory Courses
Jordbruksvetenskap
Meetings
Methods
Participative Decision Making
Poverty
Quality
Quality Control
Stakeholders
Studies
Study and teaching
Subsistence farming
Sustainable agriculture
Teacher Improvement
Teacher Qualifications
Teachers
Teaching
Teaching Methods
Universities
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Summary:The Swedish project Agroecology in Practice” [AGROECOPRAC] has a mission to alleviate poverty in households that depend on small-scale farming systems. The method is to establish agroecology education in farming and food systems that are aligned with challenges in small-scale farming. We recognize overwhelming challenges of low productivity, inadequate inputs, poor equity of food distribution and limitations of market infrastructure that can be overcome by thoughtful applications of appropriate technology, through informed and appropriately trained agricultural stakeholders, including educators. We developed an approach to designing creative education and training for action that integrates farmers' knowledge and practices, development work, extension, education and research using whole-systems approaches from agroecology, with unique applications in universities in Uganda, Ethiopia and Sweden. The approach involves program coordinator workshops, teacher training, coordinator meetings, annual general meetings and short courses to facilitate the establishment introductory courses and MSc programs in agroecology. From participant evaluations we conclude that this approach to planning and implementation is narrowing the gap between academia and practice by fostering shared understandings of small-scale agriculture, introducing new educational methods and promoting communication among stakeholders.
ISSN:0149-4910