Community vs Individual
Communities are aggregations of individuals. Community behaviour, is not however simply the sum of a number of individual behaviours - particularly when concerned with sustainable agriculture. This raises issues of self and family interests versus community interests and the means to resolve tensions as they occur.
Ultimately it is individual farmers and growers who make decisions to carry out sustainable agricultural practices on the land. However, many of these practices have wider community implications. The nature of our common environment means that the activities of each farmer will in some way or other affect us all (albeit in a small way). This realisation merely reinforces the need for participatory processes, and in particular, multi-stakeholder processes, as the means to determine community outcomes to which individuals can contribute. Understanding, information sharing, and learning processes are the keys.
In a society we all have a role to play. Central government has roles in leadership, development of appropriate policy frameworks, information brokerage, and helping facilitate community led processes. Local government has primary responsibility for the collective interests of resource management outcomes through the application of (minimal) regulatory processes. We believe they also have a role in educative and learning processes (facilitation programmes). Individuals and families make and enact farming decisions which both utilise resources and have an impacton the environment.
It is a complex mix which works best when "experts" remain "on tap, not on top", and seek to educate and empower communities rather than tell them what to do and solve problems for them. It is often tempting for both central and local government to lean heavily in a top-down approach. However, for robust outcomes, too much top-down must be avoided. There is a fine balance between leadership and empowering; and directing and disempowering. Again, understanding and applying individual and community change processes are vital.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
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