Paper short abstract:

Agrometeorological learning as policy learning requires new operational agrometeorological and agroclimatological knowledge to be acquired by farmers. This new knowledge must be farmer focused and anthropological understanding is needed to guide these processes

Paper long abstract:

The Indonesian government adopted the Integrated Pest Management Farmer Field School method in transferring climate related information to farmers in Climate Field Schools. Yet, teaching is terminated once the project is completed, despite the reality of the ongoing changes of climate. However, agrometeorological learning as policy learning is now crucial as part of farmers' responses to climate change. In 2008 we initiated an agrometeorological learning arena, "Science Field Shops", to assist farmers in improving their anticipation capability towards any consequences of climate change in the forthcoming and/or ongoing planting seasons. Building up an inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaborative work is the most effective means to achieve that objective. Whereas the agrometeorologist is responsible for designing and providing "climate services", the anthropologist is taking care of the learning process and the institutionalization of the educational commitment within local farming communities. The anthropologist and her students play a significant role as "cultural mediators and translators" and as farmers' counterparts in establishing the new learning habits.

The paper examines the ongoing process of such collaborative work, its achievements, and the constraints of convincing the authorities of its significant contributions. It is also not easy to replicate an interdisciplinary collaboration across local universities where "faculty boundaries" are persisting, and the tradition for interdisciplinary works has not been established yet. Moreover, authorities have difficulties to accept that a farmer-first focus and anthropological guidance in changing farmers' knowledge and practices are indeed crucial. The paper will discuss this based on cases of Science Field Shops in Indonesia.