Navigating the participatory turn in agricultural and food research: Best practice from citizen science

Ajates, R., Benyei, P., Avery, H., Butkeviciene, E., Czeglédi, A., Desclaux, D., Hager, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2259-0278, Heinisch, B., Hoebe, P.N., van Noordwijk, T.C.G.E., & Barzman, M. (2025). Navigating the participatory turn in agricultural and food research: Best practice from citizen science. Ambio 10.1007/s13280-025-02151-7.

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Abstract

Food systems have enormous impacts on people and the planet, with agriculture and food research becoming strategic for many countries. However, the way this research is conducted and the rise of new agri-food technologies have ethical and socio-economic implications. To address these, many scholars are gaining interest in participatory methods, such as citizen science, but are unfamiliar with the latest debates on ethical and methodological issues surrounding non-academic stakeholder engagement. In this perspective paper, we revisit the European Citizen Science Association’s (ECSA) Ten Principles of Citizen Science under the specific lens of agri-food research. The discussion presented is based on a review of the state of the art from academic literature, secondary data from agri-food citizen science projects, and the reflections of 11 scientist and practitioners, members of ECSA’s Agri-Food Working Group. The findings reflect theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for navigating the participatory turn in agriculture and food research.

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