| Agriculture and natural resources innovation in advanced industrialized countries typically is analyzed using a linear framework that fosters a science-driven, technology transfer approach. This conventional model poses limitations, however, for understanding the development and significance of innovation in situations of socio-ecological diversity, complexity and uncertainty. Through a reflective and constructive analysis of agroforestry development in New York State and the Northeast over the past decade a perspective is generated which reveals how diverse social actors innovate despite the limited presence of a scientific infrastructure to support agroforestry practice.; An actor oriented knowledge system framework provides insight into relations between characteristics of agroforestry practice, the learning to support the practice, the facilitation to support the learning and the institutions and policies required to foster on-going innovation. Open-ended surveys, on-farm interviews, reflective group processes and secondary information sources generate information on the conditions, motivations and effects of particular activity in the emergent arena of modern agroforestry. Analysis focuses on the conditions, roles and processes of facilitation in transforming the potential of agroforestry into prototypes for land use that balance often competing interests in economic productivity and socio-ecological sustainability.; The study reveals the emergence of a discernable culture of agroforestry in northeastern North America, and facilitation as the practice of adaptively managing the social learning that supports the co-evolution of agroforestry practice and infrastructure. Essential elements of the social learning environment that the facilitator negotiates to advance agroforestry innovation include: (1) shared concepts across diverse interests and capacities, (2) networks of practitioners, professionals and academics organized around common conceptual frameworks, (3) platforms for cross-sectoral, expert-based learning and policy formation and (4) strategic documentation. An epistemological foundation in constructivism, and competence in technical and social analysis as well as group processes, helps to equip the effective facilitator.; The research suggests that public investment in facilitated social learning systems for integrating agriculture, natural resources management and enterprise development, which agroforestry often represents, may generate notable benefits at comparatively low costs. This implies a corresponding need and opportunity for the scientific community, including the Cooperative Extension System, to become more interactively engaged with practitioners. |
