Fostering farmer networks for soil health
Project Information
This project, in partnership with the Ontario Soil Network, assesses the influence of farmer participation in a community of practice on building relationships and changing behaviour to enhance resilience and sustainability of their farms, as well as on the broader farming community. Part of this work was led by masters student Doren Otung and included past research associate Dr. Daniel Teodoro.
Papers from this work thus far
Teodoro, D., Otung, D., & Baird, J. (2022). A longitudinal network analysis on a farmers’ community of practice and their changes in agricultural systems management (Ontario, Canada). Society and Natural Resources, 36(2), 90-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2022.2135152
Farmer peer networks have been identified as a key way to increase adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) to minimize negative environmental impacts of intensive agriculture. We studied the social processes that contribute to BMP adoption over time in the Ontario Soil Network. All three measured networks: communication frequency, sharing and seeking advice, and production system changes, expanded over time and around 80% of participants adopted or expanded their use of BMPs. These findings support the focus on farmer peer networks as a valuable policy tool to enhance agricultural environmental sustainability.
Otung, D. (2020). Can farmer social networks foster a resilient agriculture? Major Research Paper, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario. Available at: https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/14946
Read Doren Otung’s full masters major research paper focused on building resilience through farmer social networks!
Other outputs from this work
Julia spoke to the Ontario Soil Network about the findings from this research in January, 2023. You can view the webinar here: https://youtu.be/KUBi-MsHE2s