ISARA-Lyon Université Libre de Bruxelles 23 rue Jean Baldassini Avenue F. Roosevelt 50 69364 LYON CEDEX 07 B-1050 Bruxelles NMBU – Norwegian University of Life Science Universitetstunet 3, 1433 Ås CO-DEVELOPING A CEREAL NETWORK IN PAJOTTENLAND, BELGIU M A PARTICIPATORY ACTI ON RESEARCH TO EMPOW E R FARMERS WITHIN A REG ION Master thesis 45th Cohort (2017-2018) Lucas Van den Abeele Date: 12/10/2018 ISARA tutor: Paola Migliorini External tutor: Marjolein Visser NMBU tutor: Geir Hofgaard Lieblein Charles Andrew Francis Note to the reader This document has been written both as an internship report and as a Master’s thesis. The internship consisted of the creation of a cereal network in the region of Pajottenland, Belgium, between farmers and processors. The conducted research thus had a double objective: co-developing the incipient cereal network from a practical point of view and assessing its relevance from an academic perspective. The practical outcomes for the farmers and the network have been taken as the primary goal, from the point of view that practical relevance takes precedence over theoretical relevance. The farmers, the processors and the entire cereal network have shaped and collaborated in this research. Even though there is only one author of the document, it is written in plural to include all the stakeholders that have actively participated in the research. However, whenever the explicit role of the author is discussed – and in order to improve readability – the first form singular is used. This document was written by an ISARA student in the framework of a convention with the Université Libre de Bruxelles. For all citing, communication or distribution related to this document, ISARA has to be mentioned. Lucas Van den Abeele Co-developing a Cereal Network ii ABSTRACT In Belgium only 15% of wheat for human consumption and less than 4% of barley used by national breweries are grown on Belgian territory. In order to overcome this shortage, farmers and processors joined hands in the region of Pajottenland, Belgium, to shape a cereal network and reorganise the local food system. Through the means of participatory action research, we studied the involvement of the farmers in co-developing the incipient network in such a way that would answer their needs and help them to overcome the lock-ins they are confronted with. The methodology was structured in three parts: learning from the past, experimenting in the present and preparing for the future. Therefore, a Farming History of Pajottenland was co-constructed with key informants, a Farmer Field School was set up and networking activities were organised. The identified lock-ins are of technical, institutional, economic, social, psychological and cognitive nature; but in addition numerous interlinkages were observed, laying bare a cluster of intertwined lock-ins within the dominant industrial food system. Different pathways to overcome these lock-ins were defined together with the farmers. Some of these were directly put into practice within the emerging cereal network, such as farmer to farmer collaboration and knowledge exchange, improving social interactions, re-establishing trust among farmers and processors, strengthening the region’s identity, and a better remuneration for all stakeholders in the cereal chain. Through our research we have shown the potential for creating a cereal to the benefit of the participating farmers and we have documented the first steps in doing so. However, after one year, we notice the vulnerability of the network in its initial phase, being highly dependent on the commitment of its early participants and its coordinator. Tell me and I’ll forget Show me and I’ll remember Involve me and I’ll understand Step back and I’ll act Confucius or Kung Zi (551 B.C. – 479 B.C.) adapted by Mette Vaarst FIG 1: FARMER TIM SHOWING HIS TRADITIONAL WHE AT LANDRACES IMAGE BY FREDERIC VANWALLEGHEM Lucas Van den Abeele Co-developing a Cereal Network iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to thank you, Tijs, for your courage, your insight and your perseverance in shaping this network. Without you we would not have never been able to set up such a network involving so many farmers and processors. But more personally, I want to thank you for the inspiring discussions we had and the very efficient collaboration we developed. You helped me in finding my position and my role among the farmers and processors of the network. Second comes professor Marjolein Visser whom I want to thank very much for introducing me into the world of agroecology and opening a door to what became a real passion. Her precious help and input in setting up the network were an important support. She helped me finding the track again every time I got lost between research, participation and action. Getting deeper into the subject of agroecology, I express my deepest gratitude toward Geir, Chuck, Tor Arvid and Anne Marie for a semester in Norway which had a profound impact on my person. They helped me to find myself, to become an agroecologist and to understand my place in the enormous complex system that encompasses agriculture, food and agroecology, but most of all the people. Thanks to this semester I realised it is the farmer as a person I was passionate about and I wanted to work with. This brings me to the different farmers who collaborated in the network and in the research. Especially Jasper and Stéphane who had the courage to participate in the first Farmer Field School, but also all the other farmers who got involved in the network one way or another. Thank you for taking part in the network and the activities we organised. Thank you for sharing your opinions and remarks and shaping the network with us. Not to forget also are the brewery 3 Fonteinen and the cooperative mill Flietermolen that supported the network financially and emotionally. Thank you for bringing those two seeds to farmer Tim that formed the promise for a network and thank you for giving us the support and the trust in shaping the network. It might have grown bigger than you first imagined, but it is thanks to your encouragement that we had the confidence to do so. Last but not least, I say thank you to my parents, my brother and my friends who always supported me in my work. Thank you to those who sharpened my vision by asking the right questions and stimulating my inner reflection. Thank you to those who listened with great attention to my numerous stories about cereals, bread, beer and farmers and who assisted me in ordering my thoughts by moulding them into words and sharing them. And thank you to those who helped me to get me on my feet again whenever I got too involved in the network and lost track of everything else. Finally, thank you Julie for proofreading the entire document somewhere on a remote place in China. Lucas Van den Abeele Co-developing a Cereal Network iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...............................................................................................................................IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ V LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................................................VI LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ VII ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... VII PROLOGUE: TWO SEEDS AS A PROMISE FOR A CEREAL NETWORK .......................................................... VIII 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 AGRICULTURAL PATH DEPENDENCIES AND LOCK-INS ................................................................. 1 1.2 FARMERS NETWORKS TO OVERCOME LOCK-INS .......................................................................... 2 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS (RQ)......................................................................................................... 4 2. BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 BELGIAN CEREAL PRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 5 2.2 CASE AREA: REGION OF PAJOTTENLAND ..................................................................................... 7 3. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 PAST: FARMING HISTORY OF PAJOTTENLAND ............................................................................ 10 3.2 PRESENT: FARMER FIELD SCHOOL.............................................................................................. 12 3.3 FUTURE: THE CEREAL NETWORK................................................................................................ 14 Networking activities ........................................................................................................................... 15 Personal toolkit to go out to the farms ...............................................................................................