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This paper discusses the findings from a pilot study of New Zealand agricultural consultants aiming to describe the role of agricultural consultancy within the New Zealand RD&E system with specific reference to their role in environmental management. The study comprised a literature review, interviews with informed persons and case studies. Agricultural consultants generally operate chiefly in the area of farm economics and management, but their positioning makes them well-placed for impacting positively on environmental management on farms. They assist producer decision-making by providing industry intelligence, up-to-date information and analysis of options. Consultants fulfil the role of knowledge broker reasonably effectively, but some were out of the direct RD&E loop.

This paper discusses the findings from a pilot study of New Zealand agricultural consultants aiming to describe the role of agricultural consultancy within the New Zealand RD&E system with specific reference to their role in environmental management. The study comprised a literature review, interviews with informed persons and case studies. Agricultural consultants generally operate chiefly in the area of farm economics and management, but their positioning makes them well-placed for impacting positively on environmental management on farms. They assist producer decision-making by providing industry intelligence, up-to-date information and analysis of options. Consultants fulfil the role of knowledge broker reasonably effectively, but some were out of the direct RD&E loop.

The paper highlights recent fieldwork experiences among subsistence farmers in north-central Ethiopia. It begins by describing two interrelated aspects of subsistence farmer-oriented research. These are planning the fieldwork and increasing farmer response. It is noted that activities relating to each of these two have been mainly influenced by two conventional assumptions: one is the view that farmers will not refuse to provide free information, and the other is the notion that the "village" provides the appropriate setting for gathering information. Challenges to both assumptions came in the wake of sustained fieldwork-focused interaction with subsistence farmers.

The paper highlights recent fieldwork experiences among subsistence farmers in north-central Ethiopia. It begins by describing two interrelated aspects of subsistence farmer-oriented research. These are planning the fieldwork and increasing farmer response. It is noted that activities relating to each of these two have been mainly influenced by two conventional assumptions: one is the view that farmers will not refuse to provide free information, and the other is the notion that the "village" provides the appropriate setting for gathering information. Challenges to both assumptions came in the wake of sustained fieldwork-focused interaction with subsistence farmers.

The purpose of the paper is to explore various definitions and assumptions about common resource management and to discuss where the organisations Landcare and Integrated Catchment Management in Australia fit with these. The paper will also present results of investigations of the contribution these organisations have made to the management of common resources, focusing particularly on the State of Queensland. Landcare and Integrated Catchment Management are community participative organisations with a diverse membership that includes primary producers, nature conservationists, government and industry. They involve all members of the community in the decision-making process for the management of catchments. Both these organisations mould together private use of land for agriculture with a philosophy that all land is held in trust for the use of future generations of human and other life. They do this by planning for long-term, sustainable use of land at a catchment level and use public and private funds to implement the plans at a property level. Members of the organisations work together, and work with government bodies, to share information about best practice and to make incremental steps towards sustainable land use. Nature conservation groups are part of both organisations and contribute to the thinking about what is current best practice for the needs of wildlife. They also help to implement the plans using both public funds and private donations of cash or kind. However, the planning and implementation of the plans drawn up by Landcare and Integrated Catchment Management can be problematic for a number of reasons, including the lack of involvement of local industry and government.