Lessons Learnt from Living Labs in Agri-Food Research

Summary

The poster presents lessons from three FiBL Living Lab (LL) projects covering strip cropping, pig rooting areas and dairy sheep lamb care. Based on researchers’ reflections and previous experience, it identifies common challenges and practical recommendations for implementing Living Labs in agricultural research.
The main message is that Living Labs are not always the best approach. They are particularly valuable for complex, context-dependent problems that require collaboration between researchers and stakeholders to develop solutions. For simpler technical questions, on-farm trials, demonstrations or peer-to-peer learning may be more effective.
Five key lessons
1. Choose the right approach. Assess whether the research problem is sufficiently complex to justify a Living Lab and whether stakeholders have a genuine interest in addressing it.
2. Involve stakeholders from the beginning. Research questions should reflect participants’ needs and remain flexible enough to accommodate their priorities.
3. Invest in trust and participation. Building relationships, agreeing on common goals and ensuring commitment take time. Skilled facilitation helps address power imbalances and ensures that all voices are heard.
4. Clarify roles and expectations. Living Labs involve both technical and social processes. Participants need a shared understanding of their responsibilities and who is expected to contribute to change.
5. Plan realistic timelines and funding. Establishing a functioning Living Lab often takes longer than anticipated in research proposals. Projects should allow sufficient time for initiation, demonstrate interim progress and consider continuity beyond the funding period.
Overall conclusion
The success of a Living Lab depends less on applying a particular methodology than on selecting the right problems, engaging the right people and providing sufficient time for collaboration. Researchers and funding organisations should recognise that relationship-building is an essential part of the research process, not simply a preliminary activity.