Thursday 24th November 2022, 13:20–13:35 (Australia/Melbourne), Zoom Breakout Room 2
Record-breaking droughts, bushfires and now floods have left few in doubt that climate change is having a severe impact on the Australian environment. Farmers are observing accelerated changes to their climate, especially for climate-sensitive wine grapes. This mixed methods study will increase understanding of the diversity and extent of agroecological practices that grape growers are using to proactively adapt to current and future climate uncertainties. In the first exploratory stage of this research, interviews with 33 winegrape growers from 8 NSW wine growing regions have given qualitative insights into the types of changes that have been occurring and the benefits or barriers that growers have experienced when transitioning to agroecological practices.
Incorporating biodiversity into agricultural practice is a topic that industry is keen to better understand, so this qualitative study was linked with a concurrent biodiversity landscape survey which provided many advantages. Working as a team made driving long distances, physical sampling, researcher safety and participant recruitment easier for both studies. Ethical best practice was used as part of the process of building respect and trust when recruiting and interacting with farmers, especially in the adherence to biosecurity and sanitation practices between farm visits. Participants were given autonomy of choice for the field survey as well as the interview location, which was usually on the edge of a field, in the farm office or at the on-farm cellar door which ensured participants were comfortable in their surroundings. The interview was conducted as a triadic interaction between the interviewer, the vineyard and the grower who managed the vineyard. Interviews were mostly conducted outdoors as a precaution due to the surge in COVID-19 at the time, which meant participants could point out features of the vineyard. This often allowed their passion for the subject to show, particularly around their environmental improvements. Informal feedback after the interviews indicated that some found the conversation about drivers of change a useful personal reflection.
The ultimate purpose of these interviews was to serve as a foundational study of agroecological practices in viticulture and a quantitative stage will follow to assess the extent of, and regional differences in the uptake of agroecology. The data and results acquired from this study will be interpreted with respect to existing behavioural theories in motivation and behavioural change and compare them to current literature on motivations behind agroecological movements. The sustainable and regenerative farming movements are well reported in the media. This study will seek to provide some insights into motivations and experiences of agroecological practices in the context of viticulture which will help guide future research priorities to help navigate future uncertainties and increase the sustainability of Australian agriculture.
Recording link: https://acspri-org-au.zoom.us/rec/share/hgwslXAzf4qmRv8ipyQ8zMAGRA6ZC19EJzm11t5vL9ztJQFO7ZqqwZRhGSozzL4.GZreddTQcQGSpJ3u?startTime=1669256433000
After growing up on a farm and studying to be an agronomist, during my early career working in extension and communication roles, I often saw a disconnect between farming practice and researcher ideals. After working in agroecological research for a number of years, when the PhD opportunity arose, I decided to focus on combining the experience of my farming background with my agroecological research experience to design a cross-disciplinary research project. As others have stated, to solve wicked problems we cannot use traditional methods, and researchers from diverse backgrounds need to have a common language and I hope this PhD can contribute those agricultural sustainabilty.