Programme Announcement and Call for Papers

Third European Symposium on Rural and Farming Systems Analyses:

Environmental Perspectives

in

Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany

March 25 to 27, 1998

The European Group of the Association for Farming Systems Research & Extension (AFSRE) carries out European Symposia biannually. After two successful symposia in Edinburgh/UK and Granada/Spain the Group decided to have the next symposia in Stuttgart - Hohenheim/Germany. The Third European Symposium is organised by the European Group of AFSRE in collaboration with the University of Hohenheim. Since each continent has its own regional AFSRE-Symposium, this European Symposium addresses all Europeans irrespective of their area/region of research and work as well as Non-Europeans working in Europe. It would be greatly welcomed, if participants and authors represented a wide range of European States (EU member States, Central and Eastern Europe).

The Committees

Steering Committee: Jacques Brossier/France, Werner Doppler/Germany (Chairperson), Dyno Keatinge/UK, Alex Koutsouris/Greece, Valentina Mazzucato/The Netherlands, Ulrich Nitsch/Sweden, János Varga/Hungary, Luigi Omodei Zorini/Italy

Scientific Committee: Will be composed of reviewers of papers and posters as well as of presenters and reporters in the symposium.

Organising Committee: Jacques Brossier/France, Javier Calatrava/Spain, Werner Doppler/Germany, Valentina Mazzucato/The Netherlands

Background

Farming and rural development has been changing rapidly and often dramatically. New opportunities and constraints are emerging. Globalisation and liberalisation on the one hand and resource degradation and environmental pollution on the other are altering the future for farm families and rural institutions and intensifying the pressure on the environment and on resource availability. These new realities must effectively be reflected in farming systems research and rural development. The farming systems profession can, through its many powerful approaches originating from different disciplines, help with the development of environmentally sound farming and rural concepts. In the context of this symposium the term environment is interpreted very broadly to include physical, biological, economic, social and institutional dimensions in which the farming community lives and operates and it includes aspects of nature and ethic evaluation.

• To encourage debate on farming and rural systems approaches to improve the linkages between methodologies of different disciplines. Disciplines that could be involved include soil sciences, agronomy, sciences of renewable energy, forestry, livestock, environmental sciences, micro and macro economics, social sciences, geography, land use planning, regional sciences, extension, communication, ethnology and anthropology.
• To encourage discussion to promote a common understanding of the complexity and the needs required for environmentally sound farming and rural development. Which strategies allow a satisfactory integration of economic, social and environmental needs? How do concepts such as sustainable agriculture, liberalisation and privatisation, participation, empowerment, indigenous and external knowledge systems, environmental conservation concepts and agricultural and environmental policy contribute to the definition of strategies and their evaluation?
• To strengthen the farming systems profession and stimulate linkages among researchers and practitioners in order to develop the agricultural sectors with particular reference to the environment.

The programme features a keynote address, invited papers related to the workshop themes, discussion groups, panel discussions, poster display, training and tools bazaar and field trips. The symposium consists of three plenary sessions, three parallel workshop sessions that later break up into small discussion groups and two parallel sessions devoted to posters and a tools bazaar.

Plenary sessions

1. Welcome addresses and basic presentations
2. Four key-note papers which set the framework for the workshops topics
3. Reports from the workshops, plenary discussion, summary and findings
   

Workshops

The Workshops will be the major component of the symposium. Two parallel workshops in three sessions will deal with the following themes:

1. Concepts and approaches for integrating agricultural and environmental research perspectives
2. Defining strategies for effective management of change within the rural environment
3. Use of local resources for rural development
4. Rural-urban relations in development
5. The role of institutions in managing ecosystems
6. Farming and rural systems in zones of transition
   
   

Organisation of workshops and discussions

The six workshops will take place in three parallel sessions. Each workshop is organised as follows:

1. Presentation: A presenter will introduce the workshop topic and present the most relevant issues based on her/his own experience and the papers presented. This is followed by a short presentation of the authors of papers. Each workshop will have a maximum of eight papers.

2. Discussion: Workshop participants may break up into two or three discussion groups depending on the preferences of the participants of the workshop. Each discussion group will have a reporter.

3. Reporting to workshops: In cases where a workshop has several discussion groups, it is up to the workshop participants whether all groups of a workshop want to meet again before the end of the discussion session. The reporters of the groups may present the results of the group discussions.

4. Reporting to plenary session: Reporters will present a summary of findings and conclusions in the Plenary Session at the end of the Symposium.

Posters

Posters will be displayed during the Symposium. Two sessions are allocated for discussions of the posters. Authors will be available at the poster.

Training and Tools Bazaar

Two special sessions will be made available (parallel to the discussion of posters) for participants to present examples of tools and techniques that have been used in the field or in training courses, such as videos, games, computer software etc. as well as for presenting their institution.

Field Trips

Two optional field trips will be available for interested participants.

Workshop A: Concepts and approaches for integrating agricultural and environmental research perspectives

This workshop will focus on the methods of integrating research and development from farming, rural and environmental systems disciplines. The intention is to bring single discipline-oriented concepts and approaches together over the broadest intellectual range (soil sciences, agronomy, forestry, livestock, environmental sciences, micro and macro economics, social sciences, geography, land use planning, regional sciences and anthropology) and to discuss their potential integration to define realistic, practical and systematic approaches to complex problem solving. Special attention will be paid to highlighting research linkages through the existing hierarchy of systems, to quantitative and qualitative approaches and to concepts of evaluation of environmental systems. These clearly need to be addressed given the characteristic multi-dimensional aspect of most problems in the rural environment.

Workshop B: Defining strategies for effective management of change in the rural environment

Management strategies which take into account of both the interests of families as well as the goals of society need to be increasingly formulated within the context of the positive and negative changes likely to have an effect on rural development. This requires firstly the definition of objective environmental goals for the rural environment at all levels of decision making and secondly needs to fully account for the likely conflicts between the desire for environmental improvement and other forceful and often contradictory human objectives such as profit, job security and aesthetic considerations. At present, it seems that there is inconsistency among disciplines in their strategic approaches to managing change in the rural environment. How far, therefore, is it possible for the Farming and Rural Systems Approach to help these strategies become both complementary and reinforcing for the ultimate benefit of both the urban and rural populations and for the maintenance and sustainability of the natural environment?

Workshop C: Use of local resources for rural development

Sustainable rural development requires effective and efficient use of local resources. Farm resources, natural resources and social resources may change over time with regard to their availability, their quality and their local values. How can better use be made of these local resources in the context of ensuring environmental stability? What is the contribution that organic or other farming systems with a pro-environmental strategy might play in the future of rural development? Relationships between landscape and environment, capital investment and environment, labour resources and environment, and, cultural perceptions (including gender differences) and environment all will be given special consideration in trying to determine how different disciplines might be better integrated in their approach to contribute to an overall improved strategy for the use of local resources in sustainable rural development.

Workshop D: Rural-urban relations in development

Farming and rural systems development have been influenced by urban areas through changes in market liberalisation and privatisation, in the type and extent of areas available for recreation and tourism, in infrastructure and communication systems and through changes in economic, social and cultural values. This workshop intends to define the main lines of urban and rural interactions and their consequences on the environment and to discuss strategies for harmoniously combining the different interests. Special attention will be given to the relationship between pollution, tourism, farming and a sound environment to help in the definition of constructive policy options.

Workshop E: The role of institutions in managing ecosystems

Local, national and international (e.g. European Union) institutions can influence ecologically sound farming and rural systems development. To what extent have policies incorporated environmental objectives and how does policy contribute to the sound management of ecosystems? What role do environmental aspects play in extension services (e.g. in Central and Eastern European Countries)? In addition, this workshop will deal with regulations in resource use, land tenure (investments depending on socio-cultural settings, privatisation), state and project interventions, joint learning and collective action (social action to deal with the environment, learning to manage ecosystems). How can this knowledge be used in training and teaching activities?

Workshop F: Farming and rural systems in zones of transition

Overuse, inadequate use or even unused resources influence the environment and socio-economic development in rural areas. This is especially pronounced in land use in marginal areas. Overuse of land through farming activities in mountains, forests and dry areas, inadequate farming practices as well as reduction of (unprofitable) farming with increasingly unused land may lead to environmental problems resulting in loss of fertile land, loss of areas for recreation and tourism, degradation and loss of high quality resources for rural and urban households (e.g. drinking water) and even loss of biodiversity. The workshop will address these issues in an attempt to offer guidance to rural systems in transition and to ensure that negative environmental consequences can be more easily foreseen and forestalled.

Language: The working language of the Symposium as well as the language of the proceedings will be English. Papers will be accepted in English and French, but presentation and publication will be in English.

Location: The Symposium will be held at the campus of the University of Hohenheim. Hohenheim is a suburb of Stuttgart and lies about 4 kms from the Stuttgart airport.

Travel grants: No travel grants will be available for participants including those who present accepted papers and posters.

Documents and publication of proceedings: All accepted papers will be distributed at the Symposium in a document provided to all participants upon registration. It is intended to publish proceedings after the Symposium including keynote papers, accepted papers of the workshops as well as the presenters papers and reporters presentations in the final discussion.

Papers

For papers, a maximum of 10 pages A4 single spaced, including tables, figures and bibliographies, should be submitted by mail along with the file on diskette (WinWord). The title page of the paper must indicate the workshop to which it is submitted. In addition, the title page should have an abstract of half a page. Papers will be selected on the basis of their quality and relevance to the questions raised in the presentation of each workshop through a process of international review. Papers which are only descriptive will not be accepted. Papers must show results of general interest. All papers must be submitted to the Symposium Secretariat no later than November 30, 1997. After review of the papers, authors will be notified by December 1, 1997 of the acceptance or rejection of their papers. If the reviewers suggest modifications, authors may adjust and provide the final version for the symposium not later than January 15, 1998.

Posters

For posters, a maximum of two pages should be submitted outlining the purpose, objectives, location, methodology and results of the study. Posters will be selected on the basis of quality and their relevance to the workshop themes through a process of review. Poster summaries must be submitted to the Symposium Secretariat not later than September 15, 1997. Authors will be notified by December 1, 1997 of the acceptance or rejection of their posters.

Tools Bazaar

Those interested in the tools bazaar should inform the Secretariat not later than January 31, 1998.

Symposium Secretariat

Prof. Dr. Werner Doppler
Institut 490 C
Universität Hohenheim
70 593 STUTTGART

Tel.: +49-(0)711-4592514
Fax: +49-(0)711-4593812
Email: doppler@uni-hohenheim.de

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