Carrie Furman

Warming up to climate change: a participatory approach to engaging with agricultural stakeholders in the Southeast US

Within the context of a changing climate, scientists are called to engage directly with agricultural stakeholders for the coproduction of relevant information that will support decision making and adaptation. However, values, beliefs, identities, goals, and social networks shape perceptions and actions about climate change. Engagement processes that ignore the socio-cultural context within which stakeholders are embedded may fail to guide adaptive responses. To facilitate dialog around these issues, the Southeast Climate Consortium and the Florida Climate Institute formed a climate learning network consisting of row crop farmers, agricultural extension specialists, researchers, and climate scientists working in the Southeast US. Regional in scope, the learning network engages researchers and practitioners from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida as partners in adaptation science. This paper describes the ongoing interactions, dialog, and experiential learning among the network’s diverse participants. We illustrate how participatory tools have been used in a series of workshops to create interactive spaces for knowledge coproduction. For example, historical timelines, climate scenarios, and technology exchanges stimulated discussions about climate-related risk management. We present findings from the workshops related to participants’ perspectives on climate change and adaptation. Finally, we discuss lessons learned that may be applicable to other groups involved in climate education, communication, and stakeholder engagement. We suggest that the thoughtful design of stakeholder engagement processes can become a powerful social tool for improving decision support and strengthening adaptive capacity within rural communities.

EL PROYECTO COSTA ESCONDIDA: ARQUEOLOGÍA Y COMPROMISO COMUNITARIO A LO LARGO DE LA COSTA NORTE DE QUINTANA ROO, MÉXICO

El Proyecto Costa Escondida iniciado en 2006 se diseno para investigar las culturas maritimas previas y posteriores al contacto espanol, asi como para estudiar el paisaje del norte de Quintana Roo, Peninsula de Yucatan, Mexico. Este proyecto no promueve una agenda de desarrollo “tradicional”, sino que se inserta en la critica del desarrollo para ampliar los limites del compromiso comunitario a traves del aprendizaje social. Al encontrarse lejos de los principales sitios turisticos de la costa del Caribe, el area cuenta con una industria de turismo en expansion asociada a la isla Holbox. En este articulo se discuten las experiencias de este proyecto arqueologico que integra a varios actores de la region y, mas importante aun, traza una estrategia de investigacion trans-parente que involucra activamente a estos individuos a medida que el proyecto avance.

Scale and affect in the local food movement

Abstract Growing demand for local food has spurred the emergence of aggregation and distribution businesses, called food hubs. They developed to retain the values of the local food movement, help small farmers achieve economies of scale, and supply large markets. While appearing as an innovative solution to several key constraints of local food systems, there is debate on how these businesses should function and whether the insertion of a middleman breaks down the basic premise of local food, namely the focus on face-to-face transaction. This paper highlights the affective nature of local food purchases, examining ethnographically how one particular food hub with close ties to the local food movement in Atlanta, Georgia contends with this issue as it articulates with larger markets. It finds that building a resilient and sustainable local food system beyond the level of direct markets necessitates illuminating the role affect plays in economic decision-making.

Climate research priorities for policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists in Georgia, USA

Climate change has far-reaching effects on human and ecological systems, requiring collaboration across sectors and disciplines to determine effective responses. To inform regional responses to climate change, decision-makers need credible and relevant information representing a wide swath of knowledge and perspectives. The southeastern U. S. State of Georgia is a valuable focal area for study because it contains multiple ecological zones that vary greatly in land use and economic activities, and it is vulnerable to diverse climate change impacts. We identified 40 important research questions that, if answered, could lay the groundwork for effective, science-based climate action in Georgia. Top research priorities were identified through a broad solicitation of candidate research questions (180 were received). A group of experts across sectors and disciplines gathered for a workshop to categorize, prioritize, and filter the candidate questions, identify missing topics, and rewrite questions. Participants then collectively chose the 40 most important questions. This cross-sectoral effort ensured the inclusion of a diversity of topics and questions (e.g., coastal hazards, agricultural production, ecosystem functioning, urban infrastructure, and human health) likely to be important to Georgia policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists. Several cross-cutting themes emerged, including the need for long-term data collection and consideration of at-risk Georgia citizens and communities. Workshop participants defined effective responses as those that take economic cost, environmental impacts, and social justice into consideration. Our research highlights the importance of collaborators across disciplines and sectors, and discussing challenges and opportunities that will require transdisciplinary solutions.

Climate Histories in Black and White: Contextualizing Climate Services Through Anthropology

Although agricultural communities have long adapted to changing markets, weather patterns, regulatory environments, and technology innovations, increasing climate pressures are challenging tried and tested responses. This article ponders the contribution anthropologists can make to enhance climate services programs that build adaptive capacity. A comparison of two community workshops conducted in the southeast United States illustrates the roles that anthropologists can play to reveal the heterogeneity of perspectives, needs, and experiences among farmer groups. The article describes how differently Black and White farmers experienced past changes and how divergent historical narratives influence perspectives about current and future adaptation pathways. Instead of solely focusing stakeholder-scientist discussions on how farming systems need to adapt, results highlight the importance of considering those “unforeseen” factors that shape adaptation options. The study underscores the importance of developing...