Quantifying a different way of doing research in the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge

The Our Land and Water National Science Challenge (OLW) had the gazetted objective of enhancing primary sector production and productivity while maintaining and improving land and water quality for future generations. OLW employed a co-innovation approach, integrating a wide range of disciplines and stakeholders in the co-design, co-development, and co-production of research. Empirical data from OLW's eight-year implementation indicated that this approach increased the adoption of innovations (from a baseline of 20% to 53%, on average) and reduced the complexity for farmers in evaluating agri-environmental benefits, leading to significant improvements in both environmental and economic outcomes. Despite a lower volume of traditional publications, the high level of stakeholder engagement and co-authorship suggests that the research is well-integrated and impactful. These findings support the hypothesis that co-innovation yielded quicker impacts than traditional research approaches for the same level of investment.