Formal versus unformal co-learning approaches: exploring complementarities and enhancing impact

Abstract

In this paper we look at two network arrangements in Southern Portugal, dealing with co-designed solutions to enhance the resilience of the agro-silvo pastoral systems Montado. The Montado is a complex farming system threatened by global drivers leading to intensification or extensification, despite it secures quality production in combination with multiple ecosystem services. The two arrangements are 1) the Montado Living Lab, created start 2024 and certified by ENOLL, with 40 partners being 20 farmers who accept to have experiments in 2 plots in their farms; and 2) the Tertúlias do Montado, an open and structured discussion network facilitating co-learning and trust building among those taking part, functioning since 2016 that includes a contact list of 400 people, a participation rate of 25 participants per session and more than 250 participants in the last 9 years The first is formal and the second is unformal. We explain how each one works and discuss the collective process within each of them. We demonstrate how they are complementary. We argue that by strengthening ties between such formal and unformal networks the co-learning process may become more explicit and the long term impact on innovation capacity, stronger.