Comment la recherche concerteé contribue à l'écologie territoriale

Abstract

Dialogue is becoming a prerequisite for natural resource management. However, its impact assessment remains a problem, leading to a growing disillusion. We tried to better understand how the outputs of a dialogue-based research project could influence a territory's ecology. To do so, we monitored distinctively the dialogue process and its outputs on one hand, the changes occurring on the territory on the other hand. The later monitoring led to narratives highlighting the contribution of dialogue outputs. Relevant outputs are individual and collective learnings and a rephrasing of what we call a rationalized myth composed of an environmental problem- A waste of nutrients due to a poor recycling management- A nd a sociotechnical solution, an integrated recycling value-chain producing standardized fertilizers. These outputs are used as resources in other locations than the participatory workshops, following other agendas than the dialogue process. They contribute to a broad diversity of micro-changes and individual decisions, unplanned but aligned in a common direction. These results suggest to better consider dialogue processes as embedded in a territory. They also demonstrate the relevance of dialogue-research for territorial ecology.