The development of agroecological food systems in the Andes provides a fruitful study environment for understanding innovation processes in participatory research. In this particular context two knowledge based communities - the modern scientific and the traditional indigenous form an intercultural dialogue that frames the conditions for innovation to be developed and sustained. This thesis presents an exploratory case study of the Communal Agricultural Risk Management project in Challa, Bolivia. A project that aims at combining local knowledge with technological innovation as a strategy to reduce vulnerability to climate risk by strengthening local production systems. The study applies a sociotechnical approach to agricultural knowledge and information systems to analyse how innovations are facilitated and sustained by the projects main actor - the local stakeholder and participatory researcher denominated as Yapuchiri. The main findings of the study conclude that innovation is facilitated but not sustained as vertical linkages between actors and diverging perceptions of personal benefits, project goals and material/immaterial resources limit the performance of the system. The study consequently suggests that the Yapuchiris have to reach consensus on mutual benefits with the collective coordination of agroecological practices in order to find equitable partnerships that help to sustain their work after the project has ended.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-209729 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Tarazona Machicao, Mateo |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Industriell teknik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | UPTEC STS, 1650-8319 ; 13039 |
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