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was that, after all discussions on short term problems, time did not permit to test extensively to
what extent the vision indeed made sense in the eyes of stakeholders of different backgrounds.
Project 3: Family housing in a organic pig raising
In order to deal with animal welfare and health concerns, to fit farms better into the landscape
and to reduce emissions due to manure and transportation, this project aimed to design biological
animal housing facilities and a biological chain for pig keeping. Other objectives were to collect,
develop and integrate knowledge, and to bring about interactions between a variety of
stakeholders. (Donkers, 2001) The project team comprised several co-producers, including
Nutreco (a processing firm), who initially was the leading stakeholder.
The project started with a workshop where farmers, knowledge workers and Nutreco
constructively discussed opportunities for the project to contribute to a sustainable pig farming
chain. Much less attention was devoted to short term problems than in the poultry project, the
main exception being a discussion - induced by the project team rather than participating
stakeholders - on dealing with prize competition. After this first workshop, Nutreco stopped
being the primus inter pares among the involved actors, since others appeared less interested in
answering the specific research question Nutreco had been interested in experimental data rather
than deskstudies. (Aarnink, 2001)
Subsequently, the project focused on the design of long term visions. Several workshops and
creativity sessions were held, and in addition farmers were consulted during visits at their homes
on the ideas drafted by the knowledge workers. The project team succeeded in creating
significant commitment amongst farmers for actively contributing to that effort, and these
farmers appeared to have clear ideas on the long term. "Pig farmers from [the provinces of] Limburg and
Overijssel showed strikingly many parallels. They have then taken leadership in the project."
Convention