Fostering transformative research and innovation capacity in agroecosystems through stakeholder engagement: a case study of LTAR

Authors: Friedrichsen, Claire; MEREDITH, GWENDWR - University Of Nebraska; HURST, ZACH - Playa Lakes Joint Venture; DELONG, ALIA - Archbold Biological Station; WUFHORST, J.D. - University Of Idaho

Submitted to: Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/13/2026
Publication Date: 6/15/2026
Citation: Friedrichsen, C.N., Meredith, G., Hurst, Z., Delong, A.N., Wufhorst, J. 2026. Fostering transformative research and innovation capacity in agroecosystems through stakeholder engagement: a case study of LTAR. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 41, e26, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170526100441.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170526100441

Interpretive Summary: Agricultural research is currently limited by the small scope of stakeholders included in the research process. Agricultural research must change to have both sustainable environmental and social outcomes. Stakeholder engagement is one tool that may help change research. Stakeholder engagement should incorporate multiple beliefs and values into the research process. Traditionally, stakeholder engagement is assumed to be a specific method instead of the desired outcomes from the method. To understand the potential for stakeholder engagement as a tool to change agricultural research, we interviewed leaders from a research network to understand who and what impacts the research they conduct. We found that transformative research has four characteristics: (1) focuses on systems-level change and incorporates social and environmental outcomes, (2) focuses on adaptive learning from stakeholders, (3) incorporates multiple worldviews, and (4) creates change. However, to create transformative research, there are barriers at multiple scales within the research system ranging from the individual scientist to the larger scientific institution. We propose stakeholder engagement to overcome these barriers. We provide tools to start thinking about different types of stakeholder engagement within the research process and types of stakeholders that could be represented within the process. This research is useful to research insitutions looking to change how they conduct their research and research insitutions looking to implement a stakeholder engagement strategy as part of their mission.

Technical Abstract: Agricultural research in North America has shifted across three paradigms in the last century. Each research paradigm has a different assumption of what the research and innovation process is, the expected outcome of the research, and the focus of change within an agroecosystem. Now research institutions and networks are in the process of shifting from the research paradigm of eco-technology, which prioritizes technology as a means for limiting the negative impacts of agriculture, to a transformative research paradigm. However, there is limited knowledge on how to support an intentional paradigm shift towards transformative research. This research aims to identify the research capacities and characteristics of transformative research. The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network is a case study to examine what influences agricultural research. Semi-structured interviews with 18 research leaders across the network reveal characteristics of transformative research and lockins that limit their ability to transform the research at their site. Four transformational research characteristics and capacities are identified and lockins at different levels of the scientific system are identified that prevent transformational research from occurring. We propose stakeholder engagement as a tool to facilitate a paradigm shift in agricultural research. Tools for integrating stakeholder engagement within the research process are discussed, including stakeholder typologies and stakeholder engagement typologies. A focus on using stakeholder engagement as a means to create transformation by increasing a research site’s capacity includes facilitating stakeholder engagement that: (1)supports systems-level innovation and social outcomes, (2)emphasizes research that fosters learning and adaptation processes, (3) incorporates multiple ways of knowing within research, and (4) increases perceived agency to create systems-level change.