Sharing agroecological practices between farmers on mixed crop-livestock farms in Guadeloupe, using Poul Genm, a reinvented board game.
Summary
Rooted in the cultural identity of Guadeloupe
Based on the game Goose, this board game refers to poul genm (or young chicken in Guadeloupean Creole) settling on a mixed farm with livestock in the Caribbean, working through good initiatives and missteps. The poul genm is a wild genotype found in the countryside of the Caribbean, with males used for cockfighting. It has been chosen as a symbol of resourcefulness, harmony with nature, and as a marker of the cultural identity of Guadeloupe.
In an analogy with Jeantet (2009), the backyard garden acts as a common cultural memory, where players earn points by modernising practices as their knowledge grows, biological processes involve and they encounter new constraints (emerging pathologies, labour intensity, differentiation of farm products, etc.).
The backyard garden of Guadeloupe is intrinsically agroecological
The game illustrates the agroecological principles underpinning family farming in Guadeloupe:
- prioritizing soil over plants, and plants over animals
- increased biodiversity
- recycling of nutrients (C (Carbon) and N (Nitrogen) etc.) and energy autonomy
- the need for specific training
- increasing the value chain on the farm
- the necessary organization of farmers
The animal (species, genotype or combination of genotypes) is chosen according to the plant resources and the environment prevailing on the farm, and its ability to exploit the former and adapt to the latter. Mixed farming is not an animal-based system, but one based on the soil and plant resources. Food takes precedence over feed. The animal then occupies its rightful place in the food chain, and the efficiency of the system is optimised.
Additional information
Poul Genm turns knowledge about tropical agroecology into a game format, helping players learn and build understanding.
The game represents the complexity of mixed farm systems by building layers of knowledge in stages which players progress through.
The game is dynamic and comes with a booklet that players fill out as new knowledge is ‘validated’. Exchanges and interactions between players changes as ideas from farmers, researchers and other player combine and evolve as they move through different disciplines.
The ‘essentials’ happens around the game board.
The game is simple and quick to understand, while the knowledge exchanged can be complex. Illustrations by local artist Zoé l'Artiste bring a layer of sensitivity and emotion to the game, which invites discussion amongst players. This facilitates the construction of a common language, necessary to develop a shared project and an ‘organizational myth’.
Geographical location
The innovation hub INRAE Guadeloupe is located on the French island of Guadaloupe in the Caribbean.