Participatory seed projects and agroecological landscape knowledge in Central America

ABSTRACT

Participatory projects supporting the farmer-based seed management of agrobiodiverse varieties including landraces have proliferated globally in response to nutritional insecurity and climate change. This research examines the agroecological landscape knowledge of farmers in a recent participatory seed project using the tricot approach in Central America. Over 800 smallholder farmers in Nicaragua facilitated on-farm trials of diverse common bean varieties that are nutritiously valuable and potentially well-adapted to increased temperatures and variable precipitation. Our article integrates relevant research concepts in a case study of the agroecological landscape knowledge of 52 participating farmers. Participatory sketch maps, transect walks, and semi-structured interviews were used to identify key areas of farmers’ agroecological landscape knowledge in crop and seed management. Results indicate the prevalence of nine themes of farmer agroecological landscape knowledge. This landscape knowledge exerts major influence on the choice, placement, and management of common bean varieties and associated land use decisions. Our analysis reveals that farmers use this knowledge to manage their landholdings as landscapes of agroecological interactions that guide seed and variety management and affect potential sustainability. Results demonstrate that local agroecological landscape learning is strengthened through and benefits participatory seed projects.

KEYWORDS:

• Smallholders
• participatory seed projects
• farmer agroecological landscape knowledge
• Nicaragua
• tricot approach

Acknowledgements

Deep gratitude is due to the farmers who participated in this research, the Matagalpa office of CATIE, and the staff of coffee cooperatives COMANUR and SOPPEXCCA. This work benefitted greatly from the feedback of Mirna Barrios, Erica Smithwick and Jia-Ching Chen as well as the students in Penn State Geography’s Nature-Society Working Group. Map figures are credited to Nicole Rivera. The authors thank the reviewers and editors for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For an in-depth study of local soil taxonomy through descriptors of hot/cold, see Rainey (2005).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Zimmerer GeoSyntheSES Lab; the Penn State Center for Landscape Dynamics; the Penn State Department of Geography; the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Award [grant number P022A180019-001]; and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program [grant number DGE1255832]. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This research was additionally supported by Cooperative Agreement [grant number AID-OAA-F-14-00035], which was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development. This work was implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, which is carried out with support from the CGIAR Trust Fund and through bilateral funding agreements (details are at https://ccafs.cgiar.org/donors).

Notes on contributors

Megan D. Baumann

Megan D. Baumann is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Geography at Penn State University.

Karl S. Zimmerer

Karl S. Zimmerer is professor of Environment and Society Geography at Penn State University, directs the GeoSyntheSES Lab, and is cross-appointed in Rural Sociology and the Ecology Programs.

Jacob van Etten

Jacob van Etten is Senior Scientist and Leader of the ‘Information Services and Seed Supplies’ team.