.png)
5. Multistakeholder engagement
Agroecology transitions are supported by promoting new connections and relationships between actors in farming systems and creating conditions for shifting entrenched ways of doing things. Mobilizing the knowledge, resources and energies of stakeholders to improve agroecosystem and consumer health and farmer prosperity requires engagement of stakeholders that is purposeful, inclusive, proactive and transformative.
Four guidelines are outlined to support multistakeholder engagement:
​
Guideline 5.1
Identify and co-develop clear objectives for engaging stakeholders
-
Ensure that engagement of stakeholders is purposeful and efficient.
-
Co-develop objectives with stakeholders.
-
Align engagement objectives with national targets and with the need to strengthen innovation.
To achieve this, AMS may consider:
-
Better understanding the barriers and opportunities for agroecology transitions.
-
Mobilizing stakeholders to support the delivery of targets for agroecology transitions as defined in national plans.
-
Establishing shared action programmes to deliver on national plans for agroecology transitions, if applicable. Areas of focus can include each innovation arena – knowledge, technology and market and value chain innovations, or each or any of the transition leverage points.
-
Defining feasible indicators to help monitor progress against targets.
Guideline 5.2
Conduct stakeholder mapping, and develop understanding of their perspectives and interests
-
Ensure that all stakeholders are given adequate consideration.
-
Develop a sound basis for stakeholder engagement that reflects the characteristics of each stakeholder group, in line with the objectives identified.
To achieve this, AMS may consider:
-
Identifying and listing stakeholders at local, subnational, national, and regional levels, including specific multistakeholder fora and initiatives that could either support or hinder change.
-
Identifying marginalized or vulnerable stakeholders, as well as emerging sustainability actors such as alliances --e.g. ISEAL, IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C), UTZ/Rainforest Alliance, Grow Asia, or International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) -- and agribusiness entities. Gaining insights into stakeholders' engagement history and their trust levels toward the government and other stakeholders.
-
Identifying barriers to engagement that may impede marginalized groups' participation (e.g. language, perceptions of safety, gender, technology, sociocultural factors).
-
Understanding the positions of different stakeholders regarding transitions to agroecology (supportive, resistant, or neutral). Also, pinpointing key advocates with moral authority to convene stakeholders and garner widespread support for the transitions. Developing tailored strategies for engaging and collaborating with particularly influential stakeholders, including local governments, producers' organizations, farmers' groups, and agribusinesses to mobilize resources, ideas, and human capital.
Guideline 5.3
Institutionalize engagement
-
Arrange appropriate resources, time, and capacities to ensure proactive and sustained stakeholder engagement, effectively managing power imbalances.
-
Ensure full support and recognition of engagement efforts by both leadership and frontline bureaucrats.
-
Empower engagement champions with the necessary authority, resources, and support.
To achieve this, AMS may consider:
-
Establishing formal multistakeholder platforms with socially inclusive representation, regular communication, and safe spaces for discussion, negotiation, and knowledge sharing. These platforms should support policy integration.
-
Formalizing relationships with key stakeholder organizations, especially farmers' groups, ensuring clear contacts and opportunities for information exchange.
-
Defining clear responsibilities and mandates within lead government agencies, providing necessary support and resources.
-
Creating policies for stakeholder engagement, detailing responsibilities, decision making processes, principles, and including grievance mechanisms and feedback provisions.
-
Developing empowering policies and regulations, ensuring legal recognition of key groups, such us women self-help group and removing barriers for engagement.
-
Ensuring transparency and accountability in multistakeholder engagement, including using measures to balance power and align interests.
Guideline 5.4
Aim for transformative engagement beyond consultation
-
Empower stakeholders, especially farmers, women, and youth, across four dimensions: voice and participation, capacity and resources, rights and access to justice, and strengthen social recognition and support through legal frameworks (see guideline 2).
-
Set collaborative agendas for change by creating a shared vision for agroecology transitions to support national sustainable agriculture targets. Use "backcasting" and ToC exercises to make this vision a reality and mobilize stakeholders.
To achieve this, AMS may consider:
-
Creating social infrastructure for change by supporting productive and non-traditional partnerships among stakeholders, including farmers’ organizations, startups, youth and women's groups, research institutions, consumer protection groups, academic institutions, standards bodies (such as ISO), community groups, and NGOs.
-
Fostering exchanges and joint programming among government departments and their partners, empowering agencies responsible for agriculture to collaborate with those handling trade, investment, health, youth employment, innovation, environment, biodiversity, tourism, rural development, education and communication.
-
Building capacity to address sensitive topics and facilitating dialogue on conflicting positions to open opportunities for change.
-
Mitigating power imbalances that hinder progress and empowering marginalized groups.
-
Building trust through transparency, respectful communication, regular contact, and meaningful stakeholders’ influence in decision making processes. Trust among stakeholders facilitates change and helps overcome entrenched positions.
Case studies: