Education to spread agroecology (report)

Education for Agroecology

In this report, Nicole Vosper shares the key findings of her research exploring education and agroecology. She presents successful models from around the world that have been inspiring and supporting people to practice agroecology. This report shares insights into how successful agroecology learning opportunities have been designed, structured and resourced. It also includes commentary on the various curriculums, as well as the common forms of pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching). Finally, it highlights the role of education in accelerating agroecology and gives recommendations to organisers and educators in this field.

Cartoon introduction to climate change (book)

The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change

Climate change is no laughing matter—but maybe it should be. The topic is so critical that everyone, from students to policy-makers to voters, needs a quick and easy guide to the basics. The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change entertains as it educates, delivering a unique and enjoyable presentation of mind-blowing facts and critical concepts.

Permaculture learning as community of practice (#journal)

Learning in the Permaculture Community of Practice in England: An Analysis of the Relationship between Core Practices and Boundary Processes

This article utilizes the Communities of Practice (CoP) framework to examine learning processes among a group of permaculture practitioners in England. The research found that permaculture practitioners are informally bound together by shared values, expertise and passion for the joint enterprise of permaculture, thus corresponding to a CoP. It found that core practices (situated learning, mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire) are strong but also that boundary processes are active, enabling learning and interaction to take place with other learning systems, although this tends to be restricted to those with similar perspectives. This, and the strong cohesion and identity of the CoP, leads to some insularity. This research shows that the potential for the permaculture CoP to integrate with the conventional Agricultural Knowledge System is limited due to its insularity and self-reliance, in that the Permaculture Association fulfils the role of information provision and network facilitation.

Transition towns in the majority world (journal)

Jobs versus livelihoods: Sustainable settlements within the transition paradigm

How can the “transition paradigm” be implemented in poor communities in South Africa where most people are dependent on income from government grants? Here, the aim cannot be to have a transition to a lower consumption society; these societies are actually under-consuming. Rather, it is necessary to create settlements which are sustainable in almost every way: in terms of livelihoods, natural resources, energy and water usage, health and education, transport, and waste disposal. In this model, sustainable communities use the skills, assets and resources of their members to generate livelihoods. This paper observes three existing communities in South Africa with the objective of analysing how such models are integrated (or not) into the local economy. Thereafter aspects of a model that envisages ways that poor communities can create sustainable livelihoods, using local skills and resources, are presented. This model requires strategies for creating localised systems, including micro finance, local markets, com-munity exchange networks, cooperative construction, production and distribution systems; and infrastructure and technology systems.

Developing sustainable food courses for undergrads (#journal)

Development and Evaluation of an Introductory Course in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems

 The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, instruction, and evaluation of the undergraduate pilot course, Introduction to Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (SFBS), at Montana State University. Introduction to SFBS is an interdisciplinary, team-taught, experiential education course designed to introduce students to broad array of SFBS-related topics, expose students to career opportunities in these fields, and enable them to establish relationships with food, agriculture, and energy stakeholders. Introduction to SFBS can serve as a model for such curricula. Courses like this can prepare students to become informed, innovative, critical thinkers capable of excelling in a multitude of food, agriculture, and energy-related careers.

Learning and innovation networks for sustainable agriculture (online)

Final Report of the SOLINSA Project

This report outlines results of the project “Agricultural Knowledge Systems in Transition: Towards a more effective and efficient support of Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture” (acronym: SOLINSA). The project considered new ways of transition from “productivist” practices to more sustainable agriculture, where traditional institutions in charge of fostering innovation are not always relevant. The project proposes a new organisational pattern aimed at fostering innovation for transition. It illuminates the role of learning and innovation in transition processes, explores networks as drivers of innovation and proposes the concept of Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture (LINSA) to help farmers and rural actors generate innovations for transition. The consortium was comprised by 11 research institutions from 8 European countries.

Education through production (#journal)

Teaching the Youth and Adults through Education with Production: The Case Study of Tiger Kloof Educational Institution

Education plays a pivotal role in teaching people in society so that they can bring about changes in their own lives and that of their communities. The founders of Tiger Kloof Educational Institution over 100 years ago applied the principle of education with production in teaching their learners. When the school was re-opened in 1995 after its closure for over 25 years, academic and a few vocational subjects have been introduced as well as practical productive activities such as plumbing, carpentry, brick laying as well as the raising of vegetable gardens and rearing of cattle. The school is involved in a lot of practical and productive activities in generating funds and producing some of the food that is used to feed the students in the boarding house. The study found the practice viable and recommends if for adoption in other educational institutions across Africa.

Children, Citizenship and Environment (book)

Children,Citizenship and Environment

Children are confronted by four intersecting challenges: environmental change, weakening democracies, growing inequality, and mass youth unemployment. Yet everywhere there is also a strong, youthful energy for change. This book sets out an inspiring agenda for citizenship and environmental education.