The population ecology of sustainable agriculture knowledge networks: insights from California

Sustainable agricultural knowledge networks consist of heterogeneous actors who collaborate and share knowledge to advance the goals of sustainable agriculture. We analyze how the structure of sustainable agriculture knowledge networks is related to the social-ecological context across 57 counties in California. We apply a population ecology approach that identifies variables related to the space, energy, and stability of the social-ecological context in which networks evolve. Using data from a 2016 survey of agricultural outreach and extension professionals, we find four different types of networks at different stages of development, which vary in the centrality of key actors associated with the University of California. The most highly developed networks exist in agriculturally productive counties with diverse crops. The population ecology variables relate differently to the size versus structure of knowledge networks, which implies a need for ambidextrous extension strategies customized to different types of network processes.