Social Research

The FDF long term trials have been established to undertake 4-year trials of farming systems practices (with a focus on mixed farming) that are hypothesised to improve drought resilience and protect natural capital. To help in understanding the scope and nature of adoption possible, social research has been included in the project to investigate pathways and impediments to adoption of relevant practices and inform extension activities designed to enhance drought resilience.

Investigating resilience and adoption

1. To better understand how conceptualisations of resilience and adoption influence action targeting improved drought resilience.
2. To use this understanding to support enhanced design of extension approaches targeting improved drought resilience in mixed farming regions of southern Australia.

Social research key questions

1. How do conceptualisations of ‘resilience’ and ‘adoption’ diverge or align amongst actors engaged in the FDF long term trials?
2. What are the implications of this divergence/alignment for the design and delivery of activities targeting enhanced drought resilience?
3. How do/can diverse actor groups draw on differing perspectives to design activities which enhance drought resilience?

Key Outputs

The key output from this work will be a practice change design framework to support enhanced drought resilience in mixed farming enterprises.

Outcomes

The outcome of this will be an approach to extension design which clearly articulates resilience objectives, and the role extension and adoption plays in achieving these. This will lead to more effective use of extension resources supporting change towards enhanced drought resilience in communities where mixed farming is the dominant land use.

Research Overview

Describe embedded Logics of resilience and adoption

Reveal different views on resilience and adoption to help identify mechanisms blocking adoption and help direct attention to addressing these. Key methods:

• Data sources - Interviews (researchers, growers/farmers, advisors) and documents
• Analysis of different ways of problem framing and theories of action

Living Lab

‘Living Labs’ is a methodology for different people to work together in real-life settings to test potential practical solutions to shared problems, with a strong focus on what works for end users. The Living Lab approach has become a well-established approach to address complex agricultural and sustainability challenges, particularly those characterised by high levels of social and physical diversity and uncertainty.

_{Image source: Schuurman, D. (2013)}

Find out more: What are Living Labs?

Long Term Trials Living Lab - Overview

In this project, a Living Lab will be set up and implemented from 2025-2027 involving Long Term Trial project team members and other stakeholders to focus on:

• testing and scaling best bet extension approaches re: mixed farming practice & drought resilience
• Draw upon technical and social research
• Focus on new extension design processes

Long Term Trials Living Lab - Timeline

• Living Lab startup (November 2025 - April 2026)
  • action plan for innovative approaches to enhance drought resilience
  • collaborative problem definition and action-planning tools developed
• Living Lab operations (April 2026 - December 2026)
  • co-designing LTT extension initiatives for trialling
  • trialling LTT extension activities
  • framework for designing enhanced extension for drought resilience, tools for scaling of extension initiatives
• Finalisation and completion (February 2027)
  • Final report to Future Drought Fund
  • case-study paper on designing innovation to enhance drought resilience in Australian mixed farming regions

Long Term Trials Living Lab - Current members

• Lynn Macaulay (Riverine Plains)
• Jessie Wettenhall (Southern Farming Systems)
• Louisa Ferrier (Birchip Cropping Group)
• Rhiannon McPhee (Vic Drought & Innovation Hub)
• Bow Souter- (Vic Drought & Innovation Hub)
• Christiane Bahlo (Federation University)

Research Team

Nicole Reichelt (Research Fellow)
Acting social research lead
Contact: reichelt@unimelb.edu.au

Dr Sean Kenny (Research Fellow)
Social research lead

Professor Ruth Nettle (Professorial Fellow)
Social research advisor