cisChallenges in Sustainability2297-6477Librello10.12924/cis2017.05010024OpinionsMaking Research Matter More—Working with Action Research and Film in Sustainability ScienceAnderssonElina*1ÅkermanAnn1
Corresponding author
Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Lund, Sweden010320175124252005research outreachfilmaction researchagriculturefood securityUganda
Advocacy for both critical analysis of social and environmental change and a more solutions-oriented agenda has
been a central mission of sustainability science since its
inception [1]. To this end, integration of knowledge across
disciplinary divides and inclusion of non-academic actors
into the research process have been widely promoted (e.g.
[2, 3, 4]). Aspirations to link knowledge to action do not only
bear on processes of knowledge generation, but also on
strategies for research outreach.
The short film presented here—“Making research
matter—From knowledge to action with farmers in Uganda”’
(Video 1)—builds on a PhD project in sustainability science
[5] and is part of research outreach efforts at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies. It represents one
attempt to explore and pursue the use of film as an alternative medium tool for research communication. At the same
time, this film presents a concrete example of how actionoriented research can be employed in sustainability science
to generate place-based knowledge as well as practical
outcomes in favour of sustainability. More specifically, the
film focuses on land degradation—a serious sustainability
challenge in many parts of the world—and reflects a process in which smallholder farmers in Uganda were involved
in research to jointly define problems and develop a partial
solution to soil fertility problems, namely the use of human
urine as fertilizer in food production.
The film provides insights into persistent problems
of food insecurity and low agricultural production
experienced by a smallholder community in eastern Uganda.
The situation in the region reflects the generally dire conditions experienced in many parts of rural sub-Saharan
Africa, which indeed is one of the “grand challenges” for
sustainability science [6]. The film shows how farmers’
everyday lives are affected by land degradation, in terms
of nutrient depletion and erosion, and how their ability
to produce enough food is seriously hampered by multiple and interlocking challenges, including environmental
change, socio-economic vulnerability and rural marginalization. The film focuses not only on these challenges, but
also illuminates people’s agency and creativity in the way
they cope with and tackle problems, with an emphasis on
farmers’ collective strategies in the form of self-organized
community groups. Through pooling of resources, exchange of knowledge and joint experimentation, such
groups serve as arenas for ‘everyday politics’ [7], and the
creation of strategies to expand the room for manoeuvre in
struggles over resources while seeking alternative development pathways. Building on farmers’ existing collective
action, the film, furthermore, describes the initiation of a
collaborative experimentation process in which urine fertilizer was tested, positively evaluated and eventually
disseminated through various strategies. The process is an
example of how transdisciplinary research can guide sustainability pathways through locally-anchored knowledge,
taking into account environmental and technological—as
well as social dimensions
Making research matter more—From knowledge to action with farmers in Uganda. The video is also available
at https://www.youtube.com/v/9jc3HJ1Y4nk?rel=0.
Rather than portraying farmers as passive victims of
environmental change, the film emphasizes local agency in
response to change. It also demonstrates how processes
of collaborative inquiry can cultivate a sense of pride and
solution ownership among the participants. As one farmer
expressed: “There is science now even in agriculture!” [5].
From a social learning perspective, it demonstrates that the
process of inquiry is equally as important as the practical
outcomes, stimulating critical reflection on problems among
farmers and inspiring them to continue with experimentation. This illustrates how transdisciplinarity, in the context of
sustainability science, can be “both a tool and a project” [8].
With this film we want to encourage additional efforts to pursue socially-engaged research on issues of pressing concern
to people and tangibly contribute to strategies and action towards sustainability. Taking research outreach efforts seriously
also reflects the ambitions of transdisciplinary research to concretely bridge science and society. The medium of film offers
the potential for broad outreach and effective communication
with a diversity of actors, including those who lack access to
traditional forms of academic publishing. The film, therefore, is
also an example of moving beyond the mere “reporting back” of
findings to those directly involved in the research. To further enhance the practical use of the research findings, we have also
produced a short instruction film on the use of urine as fertilizer,
serving as a practical tool to disseminate knowledge about, and
encourage uptake of, the practice. While publishing scientific
articles will continue to be the most common method of research communication, and there are still numerous challenges
associated with film as an effective form of research dissemination
[9], it is positive and promising that the medium of film is
increasingly welcome into the realm of academic publishing.
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