Presentation Objectives Presentation Objectives 1. To highlight the - - PDF document

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Participation and Social Capital in Participation and Social Capital in Sustainable Land Management: Sustainable Land Management: Lessons Learned from International Lessons Learned from International Landcare Landcare Landcare Landcare Julian Prior Julian Prior

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University of New England University of New England Armidale Armidale, Australia , Australia

Presentation Objectives Presentation Objectives

• 1. To highlight the importance of

participation and social capital in SLM participation and social capital in SLM

• 2. To briefly describe the history and

characteristics of Australian Landcare

• 3. To select key Lessons Learned from

Landcare in Australia, the Philippines, & South Africa South Africa

• 4. Highlight the relevance of the lessons

learned for APEC economies

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Well Designed & Effective Participatory SLM (PSLM) Strategies My Proposition Targeted at farmer groups and designed to build social capital High Social Capital Farmer Groups

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Farmer to Farmer Learning, Positive Behavioural Norms Innovation and Testing of New Technologies

Landscape-Level SLM

Defining ‘Participation’ Defining ‘Participation’

1. The process, and objective, of involving natural resource users in

sustainable land management decision-making, where users’ knowledge, needs, interests and concerns are actively sought, and have some degree of influence on decision-making. have some degree of influence on decision making. 2. The extent to which participatory processes influence decision- making is explicit, and is communicated clearly to participants. 3. Participatory strategies are carefully selected and skillfully employed, so that those individuals or groups that have difficulty in participating are explicitly targeted.

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4. Participation activities are also designed to achieve capacity building, and attitudinal and behavioural change among the participants, including those, such as government officials, who are convening participation processes.

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What is social capital? What is social capital?

Social Capital refers to the (behavioural) norms and networks that enable collective action. It encompasses institutions, relationships, and customs that shape the quality and quantity of a society's social

• interactions. Increasing evidence shows that social capital is critical

for societies to prosper economically, and for development to be

• sustainable. Social capital, when enhanced in a positive manner, can

improve project effectiveness and sustainability by building the community’s capacity to work together to address their common needs, fostering greater inclusion and cohesion, and increasing transparency and accountability. (World Bank 2011)

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Why is social capital important for SLM ? Why is social capital important for SLM ?

Farmer Groups with High Social Capital:

• Identify problems early, and attempt to solve them
• Develop and test new technologies and innovate

Develop and test new technologies and innovate

• Pass new technologies and innovations between their

members; act as extension agents

• Actively seek out new information from extension
• fficers or researchers
• Adapt and evolve in order to remain effective and

survive

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survive

• Understand and satisfy the high priority needs of their

members; look after their members

• Undertake sustainable agricultural development & SLM

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“Landcare” “Landcare”

• Very successful example of an extensive SLM

participatory farmer network that began in Australia in the late 1980s

• Involves developing social capital in farmer

groups (and urban and school groups) for SLM

• In 1990, the Australian Government announced

th “D d f L d ” d ll t d the “Decade of Landcare” and allocated substantial funding to SLM activities

• Landcare has now spread to many countries

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Why Why were were Aust.

• Aust. Landcare

Landcare Groups Groups (farmer groups) Important (farmer groups) Important for SLM? for SLM?

• Around 35% of farmers belong to Landcare
• u d 35% o

a e s be o g to a dca e groups

• By far the largest farmer network in Australia
• Over 4, 500 groups of farmers
• Around 75% of farmers get a significant amount
• f their technical information from Landcare

i i i d i i i i group-initiated extension activities.

• Landcare groups are groups of self-directed adult

learners on SLM issues

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What are What are Landcare Landcare Groups doing? Groups doing?

Roles:

• SLM problem identifiers and problem solvers

SLM problem identifiers and problem solvers

• Research and investigation agents
• Extension agents, publicists, and communicators

(‘farmer to farmer’ extension and training)

• Networking agents
• Local resource mobilisers
• Natural resource managers
• Policy implementers

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NSW State Landcare Council Representing 13 Regional Landcare Networks National Landcare Network

Representing 8 States and Territories

Level 5 Level 4 Southern New England Landcare Network New England & North West Landcare Network Chairs 7 networks, 120 groups, 2,400 members Level 2 Level 3 Armidale Landcare Group 30 members g 29 groups, 875 members Level 1 Level 2

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Lessons Learnt from Lessons Learnt from Australian Landcare Experience Australian Landcare Experience

1 Clear vision about community participation in 1. Clear vision about community participation in natural resources management 2. ‘Champions’ are essential 3. Landcare can only be part of broader NRM strategy 4. Decade of Landcare Plan was key govt. policy y g p y commitment 5. Cultural change in government was necessary at multiple levels

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Lessons Learnt from Lessons Learnt from Australian Landcare Experience cont’d Australian Landcare Experience cont’d

6. Government policy support and funding suppo t a d u d g critical 7. A community-facilitators network was essential 8. Capacity building necessary for

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communities, govt, NGOs 9. Positive media coverage escalated awareness and scaling out

International International Landcare Landcare

• Landcare-type approaches and institutions can

now be found in over 15 countries

• Landcare farmer groups (and urban and school

groups) are examples of high social capital SLM groups

• Landcare groups use participatory techniques
• Groups are supported by Landcare
• Groups are supported by Landcare

Facilitators

• The Philippines and South Africa among the

most advanced

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Lessons Learnt from Philippines Landcare Lessons Learnt from Philippines Landcare

• Where possible, use

existing community institutions and build institutions and build capacities, undertake targeted training

• Engage government at

the ‘local’ service delivery level

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• Utilise simple, low

cost ‘Landcare’ technologies with clear advantages

Cumulative and Annual Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation (NVS and Agroforestry) in Lantapan, Philippines (Source Landcare Philippines)

801 862

800 900 1000

266 500 684

300 400 500 600 700

• No. of SWC Adopters

Landcare Started

u

22 25 26 30 40 47 135 195

100 200 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2K O1 Jan-02

Year

annual cumulat

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A Farmer’s View of Landcare from the Philippines

“In the Landcare groups, there is a strong partnership among the people and there is a spirit of unity, which we call

• bayanihan. This means people work together more. For

l it i ht t k k t l h fi ld example, it might take one person a week to plough a field, whereas when other farmers are invited to help it can be done in a day. The groups work together to construct nurseries or meeting places or to beautify a sitio. People work voluntarily, as there is joy and happiness within the

• group. There are now 6000 farming households involved

in Landcare in Claveria ” Marcelino Patindol in Landcare in Claveria. Marcelino Patindol, Farmer, Northern Mindanao, Philippines (from Metcalfe 2004)

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Lessons Learnt from Lessons Learnt from South African South African LandCare LandCare Approach Approach

• 1. The identification of the 8 LandCare Good

Practice Model Projects (1 in each Province) Practice Model Projects (1 in each Province)

• 2. Identification of the 6 LandCare Principles
• 3. Capacity building training programs for govt.

staff, NGOs and communities

• 4. Real Partnerships between Govt., NGOs and

i i i i l communities are critical

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South South Africa: Africa: 6 6 LandCare LandCare Principles Principles

1. Integrated Sustainable Natural Resource Management addressing primary causes of natural resource decline 2. Community based and led natural resource management within a participatory framework 3. The development of sustainable livelihoods for individuals, groups and communities utilising empowerment strategies

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6 6 LandCare LandCare Principles Principles

4. Government, community and individual capacity building through targeted training, education, and support mechanisms , pp 5. The development of active and true partnerships between governments, LandCare groups and communities, non-government organisations, and industry. 6. The blending together of appropriate upper level li ith b tt f db k policy processes with bottom up feedback mechanisms

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Mbongolwane Mbongolwane Sustainable Wetland Sustainable Wetland Management Project Management Project, South Africa , South Africa

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Mbongolwane Mbongolwane Sustainable Wetland Sustainable Wetland Management Project Management Project, , South Africa South Africa – – a a High Social Capital Community High Social Capital Community

• Substantial income generation by women through

Substantial income generation by women through weaving of sedge species harvested from wetland areas (bags, baskets etc)

• Overgrazing and erosion threatening wetland and

sedge species

• Soil conservation works: monitored & maintained

b l by volunteer group

• Grazing management
• Organic vegetable growing for commercial market
• Ecotourism and cultural tourism being developed

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High Social Capital Groups Have a Strong Sense of Group-Identity: Kganung Rangeland Management Project, South Africa

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Natural resource base Household livelihood strategies / /

How can Landcare add value?

Landcare Brand SNRM/ Con Ag /SLM Social capital and institutional building Networks and policy influence Landcare Brand

• recognition. Cross

regional, cross country, international networks, influence and learning

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East African Landcare Master Class, Mbale, Uganda, April 2012

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Opportunities for APEC Economies Opportunities for APEC Economies

• Share and document PSLM and social capital

building experiences, in a co-learning and capacity building environment;

• Learn from international experience to create

favourable policy and institutional environments for PSLM, and to build social capital at various scales;

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• Develop a regional APEC PSLM identity and

‘brand’ that aggregates this collective experience under a common APEC banner, to build the co- learning network between APEC countries.

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Thank You Thank You

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Landcare Landcare Web Sites Web Sites

Australian Landcare

• www.landcareonline.com.au/
• www daff gov au/natural resources/landcare
• www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/landcare
• www.landcare.org.au/
• www.landcarensw.org.au/

International Landcare

• www.landcareinternational.net
• http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/landcarepage/landcare.

htm (South Africa)

• http://landcarephilippines.org/ (Philippines)

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