The DOI matches its Crossref record; 31 of the 31 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Integrating Agroecology and Participatory Action Research (PAR): Lessons from Central America
Open accessAbstract
The last decade has seen an increasing advancement and interest in the integration of agroecology and participatory action research (PAR). This article aims to: (1) analyze the key characteristics and principles of two case studies that integrated PAR and agroecology in Central America; and (2) learn from the lessons offered by these case studies, as well as others from the literature, on how to better integrate PAR and agroecology. Key principles identified for effective PAR agroecological processes include a shared interest in research by partners, a belief in collective power/action, a commitment to participation, practicing humility and establishing trust and accountability. Important lessons to consider for future work include: (1) research processes that did not start as PAR, can evolve into it; (2) farmer/stakeholder participation in setting the research agenda, from the outset, results in higher engagement and enhanced outcomes; (3) having the right partners for the desired outcomes is key; (4) intentional and explicit reflection is an essential component of PAR processes; and (5) cross-generational collaborations are crucial to long-term benefits. Key challenges that confront PAR processes include the need for time and resources over longer periods; the complexity of multi-actor process facilitation; and institutional barriers within the academy and development organizations, which prevent shifting investment towards integrated PAR agroecological processes.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“However there is a notable lack of empyrical research on participatory approaches to processes of agroecological transition, especially in larger territories.”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“the participation of the agrarian sector or other actors in defining objectives and designing research from the start leads to greater involvement and reinforces the results of both research and action”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. (2017)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Nevertheless how these two approaches-participatory and agroecological-fit together in an operative way, how methodological proposals are put into practice, and how these may be applied in different social contexts and processes are all territories still sorely under-explored in studies of agroecology”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Context reflects the situated nature of agroecological initiatives (Méndez et al. 2017, Barrios et al. 2020).”
From A heuristic framework to portray agroecological transition initiatives in reflexive arrangements, illustrated with a conservation agriculture network in Denmark (2025) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. 2017
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“intentional and explicit reflection is key”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. (2017)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“processes of research that did not begin as participatory action-research projects may evolve in that direction if the actors involved have a clear intention to do so”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. (2017)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“identifying and including the right partners is essential to achieving good results”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. (2017)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“participatory processes may prove useful in identifying and including marginalized social groups like women and youth, which is crucial to achieving long-term benefits”
From Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments (2020) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. (2017)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“A good example of this is Participatory Action Research (PAR), which offers a practical approach for bringing forward the expertise of non-researchers through iterative cycles of research, reflection, and action (Méndez etal. 2017).”
From Designing agroecological systems across scales: a new analytical framework (2022) · cites this paper as Méndez et al. 2017
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Tervalon, M., & Murray-García, J. (1998) · Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved · doi:10.1353/hpu.2010.0233 · Cited by 3,646
Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review
Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Doré, T., Francis, C. A., Vallod, D., & David, C. (2009) · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · doi:10.1051/agro/2009004 · Cited by 1,829
Participatory Action Research Approaches and Methods
Kindon, S., Pain, R., & Kesby, M. (2007) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203933671 · Cited by 1,341
Participatory Action Research as a Process and as a Goal
Greenwood, D. J., Whyte, W. F., & Harkavy, I. (1993) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/001872679304600203 · Cited by 610
Agroecology as a Transdisciplinary, Participatory, and Action-Oriented Approach
Méndez, V. E., Bacon, C. M., & Cohen, R. (2013) · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.1080/10440046.2012.736926 · Cited by 438
Self-citationAgroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Third Edition
Gliessman, S. R. (2014) · doi:10.1201/b17881 · Cited by 401
Self-citationThe Personal is Political: Developing new subjectivities through participatory action research
Cahill, C. (2007) · Gender Place & Culture · doi:10.1080/09663690701324904 · Cited by 394
Agroecological research: Conforming—Or transforming the dominant agro-food regime
Levidow, L., Pimbert, M., & Vanloqueren, G. (2014) · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.1080/21683565.2014.951459 · Cited by 253
Bacon, C. M., Sundstrom, W. A., Gómez, M. E. F., Méndez, V. E., Santos, R., Goldoftas, B., & Dougherty, I. (2014) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.02.005 · Cited by 208
Self-citationThe engaged university: providing a platform for research that transforms society
Whitmer, A. C., Ogden, L. A., Lawton, J., Sturner, P. H., Groffman, P. M., Schneider, L. C., Hart, D. D., Halpern, B. S., Schlesinger, W. H., Raciti, S. M., et al. (2010) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1890/090241 · Cited by 171
(2008) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/9780262026338.001.0001 · Cited by 170
James, E., T.Milenkiewicz, M., & Bucknam, A. (2008) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781483329369 · Cited by 147
Méndez, V. E., Bacon, C. M., Olson, M. B., Morris, K. S., & Shattuck, A. (2010) · The Professional Geographer · doi:10.1080/00330124.2010.483638 · Cited by 142
Self-citationCuéllar-Padilla, M., & Collado, Á. C. (2011) · Journal of Rural Studies · doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2011.08.004 · Cited by 141
Facts, fantasies, and failures of farmer participatory research
Bentley, J. W. (1994) · Agriculture and Human Values · doi:10.1007/bf01530454 · Cited by 125
Prelims - Action and Knowledge
(1991) · Action and Knowledge · doi:10.3362/9781780444239.000 · Cited by 98
Tree biodiversity in farmer cooperatives of a shade coffee landscape in western El Salvador
Méndez, V. E., Gliessman, S. R., & Gilbert, G. S. (2006) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.07.004 · Cited by 91
Self-citationParticipatory Action Research in Agroecology: Building Local Organic Food Networks in Spain
Guzmán, G. I., García, D. L., Román, L., & Alonso, A. M. (2012) · Journal of Sustainable Agriculture · doi:10.1080/10440046.2012.718997 · Cited by 90
Mendez, V. E., Bacon, C. M., Cohen, R., & Gliessman, S. R. (2015) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/b19500 · Cited by 73
Self-citationTransdisciplinary Research for a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Sector
Francis, C. A., Lieblein, G., Breland, T. A., Salomonsson, L., Geber, U., Sriskandarajah, N., & Langer, V. (2008) · Agronomy Journal · doi:10.2134/agronj2007.0073 · Cited by 70
‘Los meses flacos’: seasonal food insecurity in a Salvadoran organic coffee cooperative
Morris, K. S., Méndez, V. E., & Olson, M. B. (2013) · The Journal of Peasant Studies · doi:10.1080/03066150.2013.777708 · Cited by 61
Self-citationNyantakyi‐Frimpong, H., Mambulu, F. N., Kerr, R. B., Luginaah, I., & Lupafya, E. (2016) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.020 · Cited by 47
Cultivation of maize landraces by small-scale shade coffee farmers in western El Salvador
Olson, M. B., Morris, K. S., & Méndez, V. E. (2012) · Agricultural Systems · doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2012.05.005 · Cited by 40
Self-citationAGROECOLOGÍA: UNA DISCIPLINA QUE TIENDE A LA TRANSDISCIPLINA
Rúiz-Rosado, O. (2006) · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Cited by 37
Putnam, H., Godek, W., Kissmann, S., Pierre, J. L., Dzul, S. H. A., de Dios, H. C., & Gliessman, S. R. (2013) · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.1080/21683565.2013.837422 · Cited by 35
Self-citationBarriers to International Experiential Participation
Wingenbach, G., CHMIELEWSKI, N. T., Smith, J., Pina, M., & Hamilton, W. T. (2006) · Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education · doi:10.5191/jiaee.2006.13306 · Cited by 31
Lessons from action-research partnerships: LASA/Oxfam America 2004 Martin Diskin Memorial Lecture
Fox, J. (2006) · Development in Practice · doi:10.1080/09614520500450776 · Cited by 27
Eksvärd, K., & Rydberg, T. (2010) · Systemic Practice and Action Research · doi:10.1007/s11213-010-9172-6 · Cited by 26
Grudens‐Schuck, N. (2000) · Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics · doi:10.1007/bf02694137 · Cited by 23
Dlott, J. W., Altieri, M. A., & Masumoto, M. (1994) · Agriculture and Human Values · doi:10.1007/bf01530453 · Cited by 17
Conventional Food Plot Management in an Organic Coffee Cooperative: Explaining the Paradox
Morris, K. S., Méndez, V. E., Lovell, S. T., & Olson, M. B. (2013) · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.1080/21683565.2013.774303 · Cited by 7
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 9
- Méndez, V.E., Bacon, C.M., Cohen, R., and Gliessman, S.R. (2016). Agroecology: A Transdisciplinary, Participatory and Action-Oriented Approach, CRC Press/Taylor and Francis. · DOI
- 2006, Agroecology: A discipline leading towards transdiscipline, Interciencia, 31, 140
- Greenwood, D.J., and Levin, M. (1998). Introduction to Action Research: Social Research for Social Change, Sage Publications.
- Jones, L., and Bjelland, D. (2004, January 23–29). International experiential learning in agriculture. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education, Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education, Dublin, Ireland.
- Selener, D. (1997). Participatory Action Research and Social Change, Cornell University Press.
- Méndez, V.E., Bacon, C.M., Cohen, R., and Gliessman, S.R. (2016). Agroecology as a food security and food sovereignty strategy in coffee-growing communities: Opportunities and challenges in san ramon, nicaragua. Agroecology: A Transdisciplinary, Participatory and Action-Oriented Approach, CRC Press/Taylor and Francis.
- Méndez, V.E. (2004). Traditional Shade, Rural Livelihoods, and Conservation in Small Coffee Farms and Cooperatives of Western El Salvador. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of California].
- Bacon, C.M., Méndez, V.E., Gliessman, S.R., Goodman, D., and Fox, J.A. (2008). Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Fair Trade, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Mexico and Central America, MIT Press. · DOI
- Bacon, C., Méndez, V.E., Gliessman, S.R., Goodman, D., and Fox, J.A. (2008). From differentiated coffee markets towards alternative trade and knowledge networks. Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Fair Trade, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Mexico and Central America, MIT Press. · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Anderson, C. R., Bruil, J., Chappell, M. J., Kiss, C., & Pimbert, M. P. (2019) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su11195272 · Cited by 375
Corporate concentration and technological change in the global seed industry
Bonny, S. (2017) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su9091632 · Cited by 121
Decision-Making to Diversify Farm Systems for Climate Change Adaptation
van Zonneveld, M., Turmel, M., & Hellin, J. (2020) · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.3389/fsufs.2020.00032 · Cited by 129
Co-creation of knowledge in agroecology
Utter, A., White, A., Méndez, V. E., & Morris, K. (2021) · Elementa Science of the Anthropocene · doi:10.1525/elementa.2021.00026 · Cited by 126
Self-citationUnderstanding Farm Diversity to Promote Agroecological Transitions
Teixeira, H. M., van den Berg, L., Cardoso, I. M., Vermue, A. J., Bianchi, F. J. J. A., Peña‐Claros, M., & Tittonell, P. A. (2018) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su10124337 · Cited by 118
Metadata
- Authors
- Méndez, V., Caswell, M., Gliessman, S., & Cohen, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Vermont (US)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
- Community Agroecology Network (US)
- Corresponding author
- Méndez, V.
- Venue
- Sustainability
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2017-04-28
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 705
- ISSN
- 2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2608267215
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 30.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- ScholarWorks -A service of University of Vermont Libraries (University of Vermont) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Development › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and Art Integration
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Innovations and Practices
- Keywords
- agroecology, participatory action research, research integration, farmer participation, research agenda setting, trust and accountability, institutional barriers, Central America
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
