Agroecological living labs as democratic and participatory instruments to accompany Agroecological transition

18/01/2024

As part of her mission in Yogyakarta for the RUBIS project (Rubber Agroforestry Breeding Initiative for Smallholders), Sophia ALAMI researcher at Cirad (UMR AGAP) was invited to give a conference at the French Institute of Yogyakarta. The presentation took place on November 27, 2023, in front of around thirty teachers and students, most of whom came from UGM (Gadjah Mada University).

Collaborative systems are often put in place to support transitions towards new paradigms relating to sustainability sciences, such as agroecology or « One Health ». Among these systems, agroecological living labs are now being promoted. By creating favorable conditions for collaborative innovation through the sharing of ideas, knowledge, experiences, resources, spaces, and opportunities, they enable the co-production of new solutions to problems and adaptive strategies to face global changes. They are also places of co-learning empowerment and capacity building. Anchored in a territory and embracing its specificities, they are long-term, devices that instill a lasting adaptive dynamic. overview made it possible to present the objectives, components, and functioning of such systems and to give some arguments relating to their relevance. A word was said on the European network of living labs and the European project ALLREADY, giving somme "living examples" of operational Living labs. Finally, a critical approach allows to situate this in real life and address its limits and even its potential deviations.

Sophia ALAMI TAZI has been a researcher at CIRAD since 1999. She is an agronomist and innovation engineer. Collective intelligence designer and facilitator
She is part of the Research Unit AGAP. Genetic improvement and adaptation of Mediterranean and tropical plants. ‘‘Mobilizing diversity for sustainable agriculture.’’
She is currently in charge of the coordination of Research projects on Agroecological transition in Sahelian countries and the initiator and coordinator of an agroecological living lab: « TAE Sahel » (Agroecological transition in Sahel): a network of 15 research projects on agroecology in Africa.
She is also the Liaison officer for the project RUBIS in Indonesia. ''Rubber agroforestry Breeding Initiative for Smallholders - Participatory breeding initiative for resilient rubber cultivation systems in a context of global change'' and a work package leader of the Horizon Europe Project ''Accelerating farming systems transition - agroecology living labs and research infrastructures'' (short name ''agroecology'') 2024-2032