Doctoral Dissertation Research: Agroecology in Action: Nature, Networks, Knowledge and Risk in California Agriculture

地理学家长期以来一直在研究农业地区的变化，认为社会关系的变化、技术的应用和自然的作用是推动变化的主要力量。在过去的三十年里，环境法规的累积重量已经开始影响美国的农业实践，特别是在加利福尼亚州，那里的公众越来越关注水质和工人安全问题。在过去的十年里，加利福尼亚州的新农业伙伴关系寻求以农业生态实践自愿取代有毒化学物质，创建了种植者、农业科学家和私人农业顾问网络。该项目使用行动者-网络理论(ANT)来调查这些伙伴关系的影响和战略，该理论是为了追踪科学企业对社会的影响而开发的。地理学家们又回到了农业的话题上，把农业作为一门肥沃的学科，用蚂蚁的方法来探索自然与文化的关系。这项研究项目将回答以下问题：加州的农业伙伴关系如何(A)吸收自然，(B)建立知识网络，(C)影响害虫管理决策过程，以及(D)以不同于传统农业的方式确定风险框架？该项目包括两个阶段：一个是广泛的阶段，另一个是密集的阶段。第一个是对所有32个伙伴关系进行比较分析；第二个是对伙伴关系持续时间最长的三种商品进行深入的案例研究。这方面的主要信息来源来自实地考察：对项目负责人和成员的访谈；对种植者、科学家和私人顾问的参与观察；种植者和项目执行机构中的焦点小组。这将辅之以项目报告和农药使用分析中的定量数据。杏仁、酿酒葡萄和李子的案例研究将探索关键参与者如何影响害虫管理决策过程，招募有益生物和人类参与者来改变加州的区域农业实践。本研究项目从与农业专业人士和机构人员的讨论中出现的应用问题中提取。它将有助于更广泛地调查农业科学在社会中的作用，利用行动者-网络理论来理解农业地区重新安排技术选择的社会动力。同时，这项研究将确定这些伙伴关系的关键要素，以及它们如何影响它们各种形式的成功。结果将提供给公共机构和商品组织，这些机构和商品组织在过去十年里向加州的农业伙伴关系投资了大约1500万美元。这些伙伴关系是政府官员通过促进基于生态的农业实践来减少加州农用化学品使用的主要战略。作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立研究生涯。

Geographers have long studied change in agricultural regions, viewing shifts in social relations, the application of technology, and nature's agency as the primary forces driving change. Over the past three decades, the cumulate weight of environmental regulations has begun to affect U.S. agricultural practices, especially in California, where the public is increasingly concerned with water quality and worker safety issues. During the past ten years, new agricultural partnerships in California have sought to voluntarily replace toxic chemicals with agro-ecological practices, creating networks of growers, agricultural scientists, and private agricultural consultants. This project investigates the impacts and strategies of these partnerships using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which was developed to trace the impact of scientific enterprises on society. Geographers have returned to the topic of agriculture as a fertile subject for exploring nature-culture relations using ANT methodologies. This research project will answer the following question: how do California's agricultural partnerships (a) enroll nature, (b) build networks of knowledge, (c) influence the pest management decision making process, and (d) frame risk differently than does conventional agriculture? The project consists of two phases: one extensive and the other intensive. The first undertakes comparative analysis of all 32 partnerships; the second follows this with in-depth case studies in the three commodities with the longest-running partnerships. The primary sources of information for this are derived from fieldwork: interviews with project leaders and members; participant observation with growers, scientists, and private consultants; focus groups among growers and PCAs. This will be supplemented with quantitative data from project reports and analysis of pesticide use. Case studies in almonds, wine grapes, and prunes will explore how key actors have influenced the pest management decision-making process, enrolling beneficial organisms and human participants to change regional agricultural practices in California. This research project draws from applied questions that emerge from discussions with agricultural professionals and agency personnel. It will contribute to a broader investigation of the role of agricultural science in society, making use of Actor-Network Theory to understand the social dynamics of reframing technological choice in agricultural regions. At the same time, this research will identify the key elements of these partnerships, and how they influence their various forms of success. The results will be made available to the public agencies and commodity organizations that have invested roughly $15 million in California's agricultural partnerships over the past decade. These partnerships are the primary strategy that public officials are using to reduce agrochemical use in California by promoting ecologically-based farming practices. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.