Participatory Research As A Key Factor For The Transition Of Farming In Organic Rice

Summary

"Italy is the largest producer of rice in Europe (with 1,466 kt in 2015 against 2,946.45 kt in the EU; FAOSTAT). Production is mainly located in the agricultural area of the Lombardy Po Valley, which is among the most productive agricultural areas in Italy. In these areas, agriculture is mainly based on monoculture and intensive systems, involving a heavy use of chemical inputs. In this agri-environmental context, Organic Rice Cultivation Systems (ORCS) described in this paper represent a novelty. Their establishment was kick-started by a bottom-up, farmer-driven innovation process, later supported by a more structured participatory breeding initiative. This paper analyses such initiative, which involves a multi-actor network and strives to support farmers’ innovation through co-developing sustainable agronomic practices while on-farm testing and selecting of appropriate rice varieties. The process aims at facilitating the consolidation of ORCS to enable them to become a founding element of the transition to more sustainable solutions for cereal agriculture in the target area as well as others. The results described here highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this methodological approach."