The focus of this study is to explore and expand farmer learning processes in sustainable agriculture workplace contexts. It examines change oriented learning processes in the context of three sustainable agriculture practices. The study begins by discussing the history and emergence of environmental discourses and approaches; sustainable agriculture; and the histories of three kinds of sustainable agriculture practices: Permaculture, Organic Farming and Machobane Farming System. It also traces the evolution of agricultural extension approaches within the wider context of education for sustainable development. The main focus of the study is an exploration of how farmer learning can be mediated through an expansive learning process. The study methodology surfaces some of the contradictions in sustainable agriculture and learning activity systems that farmers encounter in learning and practising sustainable agriculture. It uses these contradictions as sources of expansive learning in and between the respective activity systems of farmers, sustainable agriculture facilitators, agricultural extension workers (conventional) and organic entrepreneurs. As shown in the study, the expansive learning processes result in the modelling, implementation and reviewing of solutions to contradictions being faced in the learning and practice of sustainable agriculture. The study also proposes a number of tools that can be adapted and used by development farmers and agricultural trainers to examine and expand learning as well as build farmer agency. The study was conducted in three case study sites in Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe the study is located in Hwedza district in the St Margaret Primary School and community that learn, practise and facilitate the learning of Permaculture within the Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (SCOPE). The second study site is in South Africa: Durban urban and peri-urban areas where a community of organic farmers, facilitators and entrepreneurs coordinate the marketing of their produce through Isidore Farm and Earth Mother Organic and support each other to learn and practise organic farming. The third study site is based in the Mafeteng and Mohale‟s Hoek districts of Lesotho where the focus was on farmers who learn and practise the Machobane Farming System (MFS) and are supported in this by the Rural Self Development Association (RSDA) and the Machobane Agricultural Development Foundation (MADF). Drawing on three sensitising concepts of dialectics, reflexivity and agency, the study worked with Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) underpinned by critical realism to reveal how farmer learning is mediated and expanded. The theory of practice/habitus also provided a useful theoretical lens with which to examine data generated. Using a two-phased, multiple embedded case study approach, the study worked within the broad framework of social learning. It used semi-structured individual and group interviews, observations and document analysis to explore learning processes and generate „mirror‟ data. This data was then used in Change Laboratory Workshops, within the Developmental Work Research methodology, where double stimulation and focus group discussions contributed to expanding learning processes. Drawing on critical realism the study used inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference to analyse data in each case study as well as across case studies. The findings of the study reveal that farmer learning is influenced by both intrinsic motives, such as identity, and extrinsic motives which are primarily associated with economic, ecological and health benefits. Farmers learn through scaffolding and mediating tools that link everyday and scientific knowledge. They also learn from fellow farmers through observation, practising and experimentation. Some of the issues that were raised in connection with farmer learning processes are: language; time to learn, practice and appropriate concepts; time to improve the natural resource base while at the same time improving income generation; and responses to climate change. The study also found that farmer learning and practice of sustainable agriculture in the case studies investigated, is influenced by past and current agricultural and educational policies; societal values and attitudes; social and cultural backgrounds; work affordances and gender relations; quality of training offered; poverty; and, HIV and AIDS. In the second phase of the study, which built on the problematic situations being encountered by research participants (sustainable agriculture farmers, sustainable agriculture facilitators, extension workers, and organic marketers) to surface contradictions, the main finding was that the expansive learning process has potential to enhance farmer learning and practice of sustainable agriculture. It does this by mobilising distributed cognition among participants as well as their preparedness to act. Through the expansive learning processes in each case study, research participants were able to question their practices, surface contradictions, model solutions and implement them, and thus build individual, collective and relational agency reflexively. Observation of this required micro-analysis of agentive talk and reflective talk. The study contributes in-depth insight into participatory research and learning processes, especially within the context of people-centred learning and innovation in the agricultural development arena. It provides empirical and explanatory insight into how change oriented social learning can emerge and be expanded in Education for Sustainable Development, explaining learning and change relationships in three sustainable agricultural practices. It also provides learning and extension tools to work with contradictions that arise from intentionality, experience, context and history in farming and training activity systems. Its key contribution lies in providing in-depth insight into mobilisation of human agency and reflexivity in change oriented sustainable agriculture learning and development, processes that are critical for responding to contemporary socio-ecological issues and risks.

Depuis une perspective théorique au croisement de la sociologie économique et de la sociologie de la connaissance, cette thèse a pour objectif d’examiner les mécanismes sociaux à l’œuvre au moment de la conversion vers l’agriculture biologique. Sur la base de l’étude empirique et de l’analyse d'un réseau complet qui révèle les interdépendances entre plus de 60 viticulteurs certifiés ou en cours de certification à l'agriculture biologique en Côte de Beaune, sont analysés les processus d’apprentissage collectifs sur lesquels s’appuie cette transition. Cette thèse montre l’existence de deux processus-Type d’apprentissage qui se définissent en fonction des frontières des groupes de référence (ou niches sociales) ; elle analyse le rôle des pionniers du milieu étudié comme pivot de l’action collective dans ces deux processus d’apprentissage, et explore enfin les régularités qui structurent les échanges au sein du milieu. Ces régularités permettent de constater que les viticulteurs intègrent dans leur raisonnement des aspects identitaires qui différencient les viticulteurs bio « de la première heure » des novices, au-Delà d'aspects économiques liés à une tendance à la « coopétition ». / This PhD dissertation combines the approaches of economic sociology and sociology of knowledge in order to analyze the social mechanisms underlying the conversion into organic farming. Based on an empirical study and analysis of a complete social network describing the interdependencies among over 60 wine producers certified in organic farming or in the process of getting the official certification in French Côte de Beaune, this research analyzes the collective learning process on which this transition relies. The thesis proves the existence of two types of learning process, which are defined by the social borders of reference groups (or social niches); it analyzes the key role of pioneers of the social milieu in both learning processes and studies the regularities structuring social exchanges. These regularities allow us to confirm that wine producers take into account in their reasoning both the identity aspect related to their conversion to organic farming and their economic position, in a trend towards “coopetition”.

The aim of this thesis is processing ÚZEI data for organic agricultural production in individual regions of the Czech Republic in the form of maps and graphs that provide a basic overview of the territorial deployment of crop and livestock production of organic farming. For crop production are given the following information: sown area in the conversion period and in the full organic mode, organic production and the average yield. Data of livestock in organic farming provide information about the numerical status of the individual categories of livestock. Part of the thesis is also devoted to the realization of crop and livestock organic products on the market in 2012. The thesis is part of the project Gaju 019/2013 / S.

Identifier les leviers permettant de stimuler la régulation naturelle des bioagresseurs tout en préservant la biodiversité est indispensable pour concevoir des paysages agricoles fonctionnels. A partir d’une méta-analyse et d’une étude empirique reposant sur 42 parcelles viticoles localisées dans Nouvelle Aquitaine (France), nous avons cherché à évaluer l’impact du déploiement de l’agriculture biologique à de large échelles spatiales sur 1) les communautés d’ennemis naturels, 2) les services de régulation naturelle, 3) les taux d’infestation par les bioagresseurs. Dans ce travail, nous avons montré que la proportion d’agriculture biologique est un facteur structurant plus les communautés d’ennemis naturels que la proportion d’habitats semi-naturels dans le paysage. De plus, nous avons montré que les communautés de bioagresseurs rencontrées dans les vignes ne sont pas influencées par la proportion d’agriculture biologique alors qu’elles répondent plutôt négativement à la proportion d’habitats semi-naturels. Par ailleurs, nous avons montré que l’agriculture biologique, à l’échelle globale et indépendamment du type de culture considérée est un système de culture stimulant la régulation naturelle des bioagresseurs. En viticulture, elle permet de réduire l’utilisation des produits phytosanitaires, comparé à l’agriculture conventionnelle. Enfin, nos analyses ont révélé qu’au-delà de la différence de systèmes de culture, un certain nombre de facteurs locaux (e.g., âge des parcelles, fréquence de traitements, productivité) permettent d’expliquer la structure des communautés d’ennemis naturels et des services de régulation naturelle des bioagresseurs. Tout en produisant des connaissances sur les processus permettant d’expliquer les assemblages des communautés d’ennemis naturels et les niveaux de services de régulation rendus, notre travail suggère des pistes pour l’aménagement des paysages viticoles permettant de concilier préservation de la biodiversité et maximisation des régulations naturelles. / Identifying landscape context and farming systems that enhance natural pest control while maintaining biodiversity is crucial to design functional agricultural landscapes. Using a meta-analysis and an empiric study based on 42 vineyards in Nouvelle Aquitaine (France), we investigated the effect of the deployment of organic farming at a landscape scale on 1) natural enemy communities, 2) natural pest control and 3) pest infestation levels. Here, we showed that the proportion of organic farming structured more natural enemy communities than the proportion of semi-natural habitats. On the opposite, pest and pathogen infestations were never influenced by the proportion of organic farming while they were negatively influenced by the proportion of semi-natural habitats. Furthermore, at a global scale and for every crop types, organic farming, per se, enhances natural pest control. In viticulture, it is less dependent of synthetic agrochemicals than conventional farming. Moreover, local factors such as the treatment frequency index, the field age and the crop productivity had important effects on natural enemy communities and natural pest control. Finally, we yielded knowledge on processes that impact natural enemy assembly and natural pest control in agrosystems. For vineyards-dominated landscapes, our work suggests some tracks for landscape planning that support biodiversity conservation and natural pest control.

The thesis is focused on the evaluation of current situation of farming and making a plan for a transition of Angus farm to an organic way of farming in plant and stock farming. During the period of conversion that takes 2 years for arable land, meadows and grazing the farmimg has to be in compliance with the law No. 344/2011 about organic farming. The theoretical part contains basic information about organic farming history in the Czech Republic, basic concept specification such as organic farming, ecofarm, organic product, organic food. The other information deal with the main goals of organic farming, legislation, check, certification and last but not least the subsidy of organic farming. The second part of the thesis analyses the current situation of the farm where the plant farming structure, stock farming structure, used machinery and agrotechnological operation, staffing, balance of nutrients, balance of forage, chemical means using, and SWOT analysis of the current situation are described. In the final part of the thesis there is offerred the structure of plant and stock farming for the conversion where balance of nutrients, balance of forage, staffing, operation modernization, introducing the agritourism, economic evaluation and SWOT analysis of the current situation after the conversion are described.

The aim of thesis was to analyze the South Bohemian organic dairy production and distribution of organic milk. The thesis focuses on farm production, distribution channels and the application of the regional market. Through the processing of data from the database of the Institute of Agriculture Economics and Information and a questionnaire survey conducted at the level of organic farmers farming in the South Bohemian Region with a valid certificate for the milk production was assessed the development and the current market situation of organic milk production in the South Bohemian Region.

The aim of this thesis is to process and evaluate UZEI (MZe) data for organic agricultural produce and sales of the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic in 2011, followed by structural and geographic regional analysis, based on the graphical output (production maps, charts and sales diagrams). Analysis involved also current processing capacity and selected sales formats in the region.

Le sujet d’étude de cette recherche est le jardin martiniquais. Celui qui s’inscrit dans le prolongement du jardin des premiers habitants de l’île : les Kalinagos. Il s’agira d’inscrire le jardin dans son contexte historique, économique, social, écologique pour comprendre la place qu’il a occupé dans la construction des sociétés au fil du temps. Notre approche est donc historique et anthropologique.Nous essaierons de mettre en lumière son rôle, ses symboliques et les usages qui gravitent autour du jaden. Dans notre démonstration, nous tenterons de mettre en exergue le rôle de premier plan qu’il a joué au temps des Kalinas et de l’esclavage. Dans un second temps, nous exposerons l’importance qu’il a eue pour les sociétés paysannes qui se mettent en place après 1848 avant de s’attarder sur la place centrale qu’il occupe aujourd’hui. Un jardin qui dispense des valeurs sociétales, jaden résistance qui revient au devant de la scène à chaque temps de crise d’où son importance actuelle. Il sera aussi démontré l’importance écologique du jaden, capable de proposer des solutions aux problématiques agricoles de nos sociétés modernes.Nous découvrirons à quel point la population de la Martinique a pris conscience de l’importance du jaden depuis la crise de 2009, ce qui a contribué à son renouveau. Nous montrerons également à quel point il a su s’adapter pour répondre aux besoins de son temps et perdurer et qui l’inscrit en permanence dans la modernité. Enfin il serait intéressant de le présenter comme un jaden ancien qui peut servir d’exemple pour nos sociétés d’aujourd’hui. / The topic of this research is the Martinican garden. The very one which is a legacy of the garden of the first inhabitants of the island : the Kalinagos. It shall be necessary to seat the garden in its historical, social, economic and ecological context to understand the place it has hold in the construction of society over time. Thus, our approach shall be both historical and anthropological. We shall try to shed light on its role, its symbolism and the customs that turn around the jaden. In our demonstration, we shall try to bring out the paramount role it played in the days of the Kalinas and during slavery; then focus on its importance for the rural societies after 1848 and finally reveal its central place this day and age. A garden which conveys societal values, a jaden of resistance that is center stage in time of crisis hence its importance today. The ecological importance of the jaden shall be enlightened, seeing as it is able to offer solutions to the agricultural issues of our modern societies. We shall prove to what extent the Martinican population has become aware of the importance of having a jaden since the crisis of 2009, which contributed to its come back. We shall also tackle the issue of knowing to what extent it has adapted to our current needs and how it has fell within modernity. Last, we shall present it as an ancient jaden that may be a model for our current society. / El asunto de esta investigación es el jardín martiniqueño. El que se inscribe en la continuación del jardín de los primeros habitantes de la isla: los kalinagos. Se tratará de estudiar el jardín en su contexto histórico, económico, social, ecológico para comprender el lugar que tuvo en la construcción de las sociedades a lo largo del tiempo. Nuestro enfoque es, entonces, histórico y antropológico.Trataremos de poner de relieve su papel, sus simbólicas y los usos que giran entorno al "jaden".En nuestra demostración intentaremos poner de realce el papel de primer plano que tuvo en la época de los Kalinas y de la esclavitud, y a continuación veremos la importancia que tuvo para las sociedades campesinas que se instalaron después de 1848, antes de tener el lugar central que hoy ocupa. Un jardín que enseña los valores de las sociedades, un jaden de resistencia que hoy regresa delante del escenario, en cada época de crisis, de ahí su importancia actual. También demostraremos la importancia ecológica del jardín, capaz de proponer soluciones a las problemáticas agrícolas de nuestras sociedades modernas.Mostraremos hasta qué punto la población martiniqueña ha tomado conciencia del jardín después de la crisis de 2009, lo que ha favorecido su renacimiento. Mostraremos también cuánto ha podido adaptarse para responder a las necesidades de su época y perdurar , lo que hace de éste, un jardín todavía inscrito en la modernidad. Por fin, Sería interesante presentarlo como un jardín antiguo que puede servir de ejemplo para nuestras sociedades actuales.

Au cours de ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’influence des conditions locales et paysagères sur la structuration des communautés d’arthropodes en agroécosystèmes, ceci grâce à un dispositif de suivi situé en Ille-et-Vilaine (Bretagne, France), et comprenant des parcelles conduites en agriculture biologique et conventionnelle spatialement appariées. Notre première étude a mis en évidence que l’hétérogénéité paysagère, parfois en interaction avec le système local de culture, conditionne la diversité et l’abondance des groupes trophiques, à la fois pour les arthropodes au sol comme pour ceux de la végétation. Dans un second temps, nous avons pu montrer l’importance du contexte paysager dans la structuration des assemblages d’arthropodes prédateurs, et émis l’hypothèse que les mécanismes déterminant la distribution des espèces diffèrent fortement entre araignées et carabiques. Enfin, il est apparu la nécessité de distinguer les individus résidents (émergeants) des individus mobiles (circulants) lorsque l’on s’intéresse au rôle différentiel des facteurs locaux vs. paysagers dans la structuration des communautés de carabiques. D’une façon générale, nos résultats montrent donc une influence importante et positive de l’agriculture biologique sur les populations, assemblages d’espèces et communautés d’arthropodes, que ce soit à des échelles locales et paysagères comme en interaction avec d’autres variables paysagères. Nous avons également montré la pertinence de l’utilisation de différents niveaux d’organisation et variables réponses associées pour évaluer finement la structure et le fonctionnement de communautés d’Arthropodes en agroécosystèmes. / In this study, we got interested in quantifying how local and landscape metrics structure arthropod communities in agro-ecosystems. For that, we used a long-term monitoring design located in ‘Ille-Et-Vilaine’ (Brittany, France), composed by spatially pair-matched fields under organic vs. conventional farming systems. First, we found that landscape heterogeneity, also interacting with farming systems, drives the diversity and abundance of trophic groups for both ground- and vegetation-dwelling arthropods. In a second chapter, we showed the importance of landscape context in shaping assemblages of predatory arthropods, and suggested that mechanisms behind the distribution of individual species strongly differ between spiders and carabids. Lastly, we highlighted the importance of distinguishing between resident (emergent) and mobile (circulating) individuals when assessing the differential role of local vs. landscape factors in community assembly. Overall, our results show a strong and positive effect of organic farming on arthropod populations, assemblages and communities, both at local and landscape scales, as well as in interaction with other landscape metrics. We also highlighted the relevance of using different levels of biological organization, and related response variables, when assessing the structure and functioning of arthropod communities in agroecosystems

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Agradecemos a compreensão. on 2017-01-11T17:23:55Z (GMT) / Submitted by LUCIANA GOMES DE ALMEIDA (luciana@biodinamica.org.br) on 2017-02-05T16:18:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Dissertação Mestrado definitivo 090117.pdf: 1935780 bytes, checksum: 6a96f8cbad659a357aa0c5cee25806e4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-02-08T15:48:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_lg_me_bot.pdf: 1935780 bytes, checksum: 6a96f8cbad659a357aa0c5cee25806e4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-08T15:48:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_lg_me_bot.pdf: 1935780 bytes, checksum: 6a96f8cbad659a357aa0c5cee25806e4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-10 / Objetivou-se com esta pesquisa estudar a curva de crescimento e absorção de nutrientes do tomateiro ‘Débora Victory’, cultivado em sistema orgânico a campo, em Itápolis-SP e estudar os teores de N, P e K de seis biofertilizantes ao longo do processo de fermentação. Para avaliação do híbrido Débora Victory, os tratamentos foram constituídos por nove épocas de amostragem, aos 2, 32, 46, 60, 77, 91, 109, 122 e 137 dias após o transplante (DAT) realizado em 01/04/2014. As plantas atingiram acúmulo estimado de massa seca e fresca total na última coleta de 550,2 e 9.528,2 g planta-1, respectivamente. A ordem decrescente do acúmulo total de nutrientes foi K > N > Ca > P > S > Mg, com valores estimados de 22,6; 10,4; 5,0; 2,3; 2,1 e 1,6 g planta-1, respectivamente. Na última coleta, o maior acúmulo de N, P, K ocorreu nos frutos e de Ca, S e Mg na parte vegetativa (caule+folhas+ inflorescências). O estudo da composição dos biofertilizantes foi constituído por seis biofertilizantes, elaborados com a mesma base para a fermentação (composta de 1 kg de farelo de arroz, 250 mL de melaço, 250 mL de microorganismos, marca EMBIOTIC, misturados em 15 litros de água), diferindo entre si pelo acréscimo de um ingrediente: T1 = torta de mamona (2 kg); T2 = farinha de sangue (2 kg); T3 = pó de casco e chifres (2 kg); T4 = farinha de ossos (2 kg); T5 = farinha de sangue (1 kg); T6 = farinha de ossos (1 kg) e cinco momentos de avaliação, aos 3, 7, 15, 22 e 30 dias após o preparo (DAP) dos biofertilizantes. Em cada momento foram analisados os teores de N, P e K e a condutividade elétrica. O biofertilizante a base de pó de casco e chifres apresentou maior teor de N do que os outros, alcançando o teor de 6,8 g L-1 aos 30 DAP. Os biofertilizantes a base de torta de mamona e pó de casco e chifres apresentaram maior teor de P, com médias de 3,2 e 2,6 g L-1, respectivamente, do que os de farinha de ossos (1 e 2 kg). O biofertilizante a base de torta de mamona apresentou maior teor de K, média de 2,5 g L-1, do que todos os demais, que foram iguais entre si. Independente do tipo de biofertilizante, os teores de K não se alteraram, os de N e a condutividade elétrica aumentaram e os de P reduziram ao longo do tempo de fermentação até os 30 DAP. / The objective of this research was to study the growth curve and absorption of nutrients in tomato 'Debora Victory', grown in organic system field in Itápolis-SP and to study the contents of N, P and K of six biofertilizers during the process fermentation. To evaluate the Débora Victory hybrid, the treatments consisted of nine sampling times at 2, 32, 46, 60, 77, 91, 109, 122 and 137 days after transplanting (DAT) held on 01.04.2014. The plants had estimated total dry and fresh weight, in the last sampling, of 550.2 and 9528.2 g plant-1, respectively. The descending order of total nutrient accumulation was K> N> Ca> P> S> Mg, with estimates of 22.6; 10.4; 5.0; 2.3; 2.1 and 1.6 g plant-1, respectively. In the last sampling, the greater accumulation of N, P, K occurred in fruits and Ca, Mg and S in the vegetative parts (stem + leaves + inflorescences). The experiment consisted of six biofertilizers, prepared on the same basis for fermentation (composed of 1 kg of rice bran, 250 ml of molasses, 250 ml of microorganisms, brand EMBIOTIC, mixed in 15 liters of water), differing from each other by an ingredient addition: T1 = castor bean cake (2 kg), T2 = blood meal (2 kg); T3 = hoof and horn powder (2 kg), T4 = bone meal (2 kg), T5 = blood meal (1 kg); T6 = bone meal (1 kg)) and five dates of evaluation: 3, 7, 15, 22 and 30 days after preparation (DAP) of biofertilizers. The following variables were analyzed: contents of N, P and K and the electrical conductivity. The hoof and horn powder biofertilizer showed higher N content than the others, reaching a maximum of 6.8 g L-1 at 30 DAP. The castor bean cake and hoof and horn powder, showed higher P contents, with average of 3.2 and 2.6 g L-1, respectively, than bone meal (1 and 2 kg) biofertilizer. The castor bean cake biofertilizer showed higher K content, average of 2.5 g L-1, than the others that did not differ each other. Regardless of the type of biofertilizer, the K content did not change, the N content and the electrical conductivity increased and the P content reduced during the time of fermentation until 30 DAP.