Including marginalised voices in agricultural development processes using an ethical community engagement framework in West Bengal, India

There are both practical and ethical goals for partnering with communities in the co-production of knowledge for sustainable livelihoods. The benefits of partnering with communities include trust creation, enhanced impact, and improved sustainability of development outcomes. However, for Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities, the barriers and burdens of participation in donor-driven initiatives can be immense. We share our experiences in developing and applying an Ethical Community Engagement (ECE) framework to facilitate the inclusion of poor, marginalised women in two villages in the Bankura district of West Bengal, India. People in Hakimsinan and Chakadoba villages identify as Santhals, the largest Indigenous group in West Bengal, and are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe in the Indian constitution. The framework informed both the design of research activities and the team's interactions with tribal communities. Trialling the framework in an agriculture intensification project that aimed to increase food availability and diversity, and by extension improve nutrition outcomes, created many opportunities to explore more sustainable and culturally appropriate production options. For participating villages, improved agriculture-nutrition links were made but only after local institutions were strengthened. For the broader partnership, the ECE approach presented multiple avenues for cross-learning. We share some of the broader challenges that presented in the course of working this way, providing reflections on the shifts we observed were necessary for the framework to be applied successfully. We conclude with a discussion on navigating the tensions and barriers that transdisciplinary science presents more broadly.

Automated summary

Partnering with communities in co-producing knowledge for sustainable livelihoods serves both practical and ethical goals, including trust creation, enhanced impact, and improved sustainability of development outcomes. However, Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities may face immense barriers and burdens in participating in donor-driven initiatives.