Engaging stakeholders to strengthen coproduction of knowledge in the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR)...

Rapidly changing agricultural conditions need solutions to address complex decision-making in an evolving socio-ecological landscape. One way to accelerate the pace of solution development is by working directly with end users to design potential tools. The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network has developed a performance-based sustainability indicator system as one possible tool for producers, land managers, and other stakeholders to aid decision-making. Two LTAR sites (in New Mexico and Florida) engaged with stakeholders to further develop the network-level indicator framework to account for site-level differences. We compared the sites' engagement processes using a coproduction of knowledge framework to assess similarities and differences in outcomes. The New Mexico site used a less structured, dialogue-based approach while the Florida site used a formalized social science methodology. We found that a structured engagement strategy that is exploratory allows for more creative insight from stakeholders. The strength of a dialogue-based approach was identifying specific metrics that stakeholders find are feasible for data collection. Both approaches resulted in coproduced knowledge that increased relevancy of indicator frameworks at the local level. Maintaining an indicator framework that encourages common ground and is adaptable to different agroecosystem contexts is essential for continued usability. A variety of engagement strategies can strengthen the network-level indicator framework. Without coproduction of knowledge, we could miss key indicators not considered by scientists and be less aware of the usability of the framework on the ground. Coproduction of knowledge between scientists and stakeholders can help identify areas to improve the indicator framework.