A management approach to change on farms

The increasing importance of agro-environmental issues currently makes the management of changes in fanning practices a major question for political d ecision-makers and farmers. How is change envisaged and managed on farms? U sing a case study of changes in farming practices with a view to protecting water quality, we propose here an innovative approach for managing change plus operative teaching methods which together form a management approach t o change. Our research methodology is based on an interactive approach and a longitudinal study of the transformation process. Results show that chang e is a complex process, the direction it takes is difficult to predict, and it is based on the dynamic of actor-group learning. The management approac h to change does not just mean the incentives proposed to farmers, but also methods for devising and managing this change, development of actor-group learning, and back-up for farmers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.