How can the design of Decision Support Tools for different agricultural stakeholders be improved?

Abstract

The sustainability of Mediterranean agriculture is under threat due to factors such as climate change, the spatial distribution and size of holdings, the ageing rural population and the environmental and social pressures in rural areas. Decision Support Tools (DST) can help overcome these challenges by enhancing the decision-making of farmers and advisers, enabling evidence-based decisions which will improve the sustainability of farming systems in the area. An essential requirement of an effective design of a DST is the early-stage engagement of stakeholders in a co-production approach to define end user needs and requirements. In this research twenty-nine stakeholders comprising farmers and advisers, extension officers, policy makers and industry representatives were selected from within the regional unit of Argolida and the Greek National Ministry of Rural Development and Food to facilitate user need analysis. A Q-methodology approach was utilised to provide an in-depth understanding of the perspectives and needs of the differing stakeholder groups. The results illustrated that the use of the Q-methodology as a mechanism of analysing stakeholders’ subjective viewpoints can offer valuable insights and can be used to study distinct perspectives existing within a group on a topic of interest. In addition, the research illustrates how the method can serve as the required first step of end user need analysis in a co-production of services approach for the design of an effective DST in agriculture.