Participatory action research followed the first cohort of ECOSUR's professional Master's in Agroecology: 11 students from nine organisations in four countries, observed and interviewed 44 times. Students reported growth across nine learning axes and application in organisations and communities, alongside persistent challenges in interdisciplinarity, organisational relationships, horizontal knowledge dialogue and field skills. This is a small participatory case, not causal programme-effectiveness evidence.
Key findings
- Self-assessed growth appeared across all nine axes, with participatory action research increasing most from a low baseline and between-student variation narrowing. Applications included community planning, farmer-to-farmer exchange, communication and new organisational roles. Students also wanted more technical farming skills and field time.
Why this matters globally
The case offers design lessons for food-system education by linking capstones to real territorial problems and involving community organisations in agenda setting. It generates implementation hypotheses rather than an effect size.
Thai researcher contribution
Peter Rosset is affiliated with Chulalongkorn University's Social Research Institute alongside institutions in Mexico and Brazil. The Thai link is transregional knowledge collaboration; the programme, students and territories were not in Thailand.
Limitations to consider
The single cohort had 11 students, researchers were programme insiders, and desirability or positionality bias is plausible. Initial interviews were not recorded; retrospective self-assessment used one item per domain, with no control group or independently measured food-system outcomes.