Lifelong learning for Arctic farmers

In the coming years, climate change will radically alter the conditions for Arctic agriculture. Already at the turn of the century, the Arctic landscape is expected to be significantly different with new plant species, new plant patterns, and changing land areas. Arctic farmers therefore need to adapt and reflect on their experiences and lifelong learning to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Reflecting on place-based experiences – the lifelong learning of Arctic farmers

Today, however, scientific knowledge about Arctic farmers' lifelong learning is very limited. How Arctic farmers' learning has taken shape over the years is almost completely unstudied. This is what Niklas Johansson, PhD student in pedagogy, wants to address through his research project, Learning from the Land, which runs until 2026.

During 2023, Niklas Johansson has traveled around and conducted extensive in-depth interviews with fifteen different farmers who live and work on different farms near the Arctic Circle. Most of the farmers are engaged in milk production, but many also have forestry and grassland cultivation.

– It has been great to hear the different stories of the farmers. They have really welcomed me with open arms and the interviews have often lasted for several hours," says Niklas Johansson.

Through the interviews, it has emerged that farmers' lifelong learning is often based on reflections on different place-based experiences.

– Reflecting on different place-based experiences together with other local farmers is something that the farmers themselves emphasize as something very important for their lifelong learning. The process could be described as a situated experience-based learning as they reinterpret different local changes on their different farms together with other farmers who also have a deep knowledge of the place, says Niklas Johansson.

The results from this research project will show farmers' learning strategies and experiences for sustainable operations. The results will be used by different societal actors who want to promote Arctic farmers' activities.

• Caroline Graeske