An Analysis of Irish Dairy Farmers’ Participation in the Bioeconomy: Exploring Power and Knowledge Dynamics in a Multi-actor EIP-AGRI Operational Group

The European Commission’s Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), part of the Europe 2020 strategy, aims to ‘achieve more better from less’ by bringing together a diversity innovation actors harness their combined knowledges creatively achieve sustainability goals. creation novel use biomaterials remains both significant challenge opportunity all relevant primary production through refinement processing is anticipated make progress in into practice pilot operational approaches on ground. For bioeconomy, nascent sector, it become established; grow; innovate engage actors. It has been noted internationally that producers, among other cohorts, remain marginalised bioeconomy activities, which significantly compromises how inclusive innovative likely be henceforth. In this context, an interesting case study Biorefinery Glas Operational Group (OG), located Ireland. OG was ‘small-scale-farmer-led green biorefinery supporting farmer diversification circular bioeconomy’. central research question paper concerns dynamics farmers’ participation OG, focusing specifically shaped operation activities within it. This presents social network graph illustrating diverse involved relative degrees connectedness each other, overview differing levels actors’ influence network. Interrogating roles different further, lens power theory used explore were combination with others’ shape development overall conclusion analysis interviews conducted non-farmer participants while farmers highly connected members viewed involvement positively, level they had decision-making processes some areas relatively limited. Different types tended work segmented way, contributing as input suppliers practical side at farm level, such scientists worked technical aspects. concludes providing conclusions lessons relevance innovation-brokers practitioners, OGs involving elsewhere.