Utilising Peer Learning and Benchmarking to Drive Practice

Change

Chris Reichstein

2014 Nuffield Scholar

Why This Topic ?

• History of industry Involvement• Frustration at lack of adoption of

practice change• Questioning of extension

effectiveness• Declining public investment in Ag• Changing face of extension• Declining TFP growth

Where did I go, what did I see?• New Zealand- Dairy and Kiwi fruit industry • Brazil – EMBRAPA

Large Co-operatives

• Argentina – CREA, collaborative learning

• USA- Land Grant Universities/Extension Philanthropic Foundations Monsanto

• Canada- Grower Groups Private agronomists Large private consultancy

More on where I went, What I saw

• UK HGCA monitor farms

• Ireland Dairy discussion groups

• Denmark Privatised government RD and E

• Netherlands Science of extension and innovation

Points of Note

New Zealand- levy based-Well resourced-Strong extension focus-Use of peer learning, monitor and demonstration farms-Discussion groups

Argentina – AACREA dynamic self supporting research and extensionIreland and UK- Strong growth in use of peer learning

- Discussion groups and monitor farms

Worldwide Trends

• Governments cutting back funding of RD and E• Move to levy based funding models• User pays• Private RD and E filling some of the gaps• Less co-ordinated extension• Information overloadTrend to Collaborative learning and benchmarking

Dairy Discussion Groups Ireland

Benchmarking

• Size and integrity of data base important• Ground truths performance• Highlights areas of strength and weakness• Useful driver of change at operational, tactical and strategic level• Change driven from within is most sustainable• Combining benchmarking and peer learning has proven very effective

in driving practice change

A Quick Case Study

What Farmers Need For Adoption

Clear economic/time benefitClarity in decision making processConfidence in decisionSupport- peer and professionalMeasurable outcomes

The Tale of Two Technologies

No Till Farming

Clear needVisualMeasurableClear economic benefitChampionsSupported by industryBenefits validated by scienceWide Spread Adoption

The Tale of Two technologies

Precision Agriculture

Non VisualIncremental gainsUnclear economic benefitComplex interactions, NDVI, Yield, P replacement, EM 38, soil test Low level of farmer confidenceLack of support mechanismsFarmers working in isolation- low level of peer info exchangeIncompatibility of hardwareNo champions for technologyScience or industry rather than farmer drivenLow level of adoption

Where to in the Future• Information sharing facilitated by consultants and

agronomists • Well targeted RD &E• Business Discussion Groups• Consolidated benchmarking on agzone level• Greater support for Grower Groups to facilitate extension

Thanks to Nuffield Australia and GRDC