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This article presents the second cycle of an ongoing participatory action research (PAR) project that aimed at facilitating bottom-up, sustainability planning and development in one of the most socio-economically disadvantageous micro-regions of Hungary. The process at the very beginning started as conventional qualitative research, and gradually emerged to a PAR process as deeper relationships with local people were developed and previous research practices and research focus were questioned. Current institutional changes, such as the availability of European Union funding for rural development and the micro-regional re-districting driven both by top-down and bottom-up processes, were structural factors that created a more promising context for participatory planning. Although a PAR project generally targets silenced groups, for this to happen it is arguably necessary to legitimize such development work in the eyes of local decision-makers and funding organizations, in order to establish more inclusive communicative spaces around future rural development. However, this also creates a controversial situation: breaking away from prevailing structural inequalities and hierarchies remains difficult through a process which is designed around consensus-building.

The report summarises the results of a Delphi study carried out in the Contracts2.0 project. The reports key findings: The report presents the detailed results of a Delphi survey conducted about innovative agri-environmental and climate measures among European decision-makers, experts, NGOs and farmers. The Delphi had three consecutive rounds between March 2021 and May 2022. The report presents the three rounds without contextualizing the results; a more detailed analysis of the Delphi research can be found as a public deliverable of the project: D4.3. Considering the characteristics of currently typical AECM contracts, respondents highlighted the need for more flexibility, improved monitoring and control mechanisms, and better regional differentiation (i.e.g tailor-made solutions which adapt to regional specificities both in terms of the environmental and the socio-economic context). The overly complicated nature of some of the existing schemes were mentioned as a limitation, based on which some respondents argued for simplified contracts. AECM is the most popular contract type combining the different elements the most popular contract would be an AECM using both result based and action based elements, with a medium long contract signed by individual farmers There is almost a consensus around seeing innovative contract elements in combination with mainstream contracts as top-ups. At the same time, it is clear that respondents are afraid of an increasing bureaucracy, thus they could imagine a re-design of the current AECM administration. Flexibility is a key -point in the adaptability at the EU level; more than half of the respondents think that the ideal model can be implemented at EU level if there is a possibility for regional adaptation; only a minority assumes that the ideal model cannot be implemented. Respondents see ideal contract types highly beneficial: there is a consensus that those will have a positive impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services, on European farmers' knowledge and attitudes ...

AbstractThis empirical paper presents a case of a participatory agenda-setting exercise for green care services in Hungary. Science Cafés were utilised as a participatory agenda-setting tool within the framework of the InSPIRES H2020 project. The objectives were to collect perceptions of research needs from key actors in the green care field in Hungary, to generate collaborative research projects on green care services and to initiate social dialogue around green care in Hungary. The main research question was as follows: how can we co-create a research agenda on green care by eliciting responses from concerned citizens and experts in a very open and democratic setting? While a growing body of evidence supports the need for, and benefits of, green care services, there is not much research in Hungary addressing diverse knowledge needs of the multiple social actors in the green care field. Science Café as developed for institutionalising an informal and lively dialogue between science and society proved to be a useful tool to co-generate a research agenda for such a relatively neglected but socially highly beneficial theme as green care.

The complexity of sustainability issues prompts both science and policy‐making to broaden their methodologies in finding solutions to problems of environmental, social and economic sustainability. In the realms of post‐normal science, quests to find adequate answers to everyday challenges happen in an issue‐driven, policy‐oriented manner where the issue of involving the widest possible range of stakeholders is of utmost importance. Participatory systems mapping is a new type of participatory technique, which has emerged in the last few years. In such a process, participants jointly devise diagrams on a topical issue and develop policy recommendations. The paper discusses an experiment applying this method concerning the issue of sustainable consumption. The authors point out that systems mapping has many significant features that can enrich participatory methodologies. However, the participatory potential of systems mapping might be limited because it can be demanding for groups with lower levels of knowledge capital. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hungary is home to a great diversity of plant and animal species, whose preservation is of global value. This paper focuses on the institutional aspects of the research project on on-farm conservation of crop genetic resources in three Environmentally Sensitive Areas of Hungary (Dévaványa, Orség-Vendvidék, Szatmár-Bereg). Implemented by the Institute of Environmental Management, St. István University and the Institute for Agrobotany in partnership with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, the project consists of an interdisciplinary institutional, economic, and scientific analysis. The main goal of the project is to develop a scientific understanding about the current and potential socio-economic role of agrobiodiversity maintained in home gardens. The first aim of the institutional analysis carried out by this paper is to identify the institutions and organisations that have significant impact on the seed choices and seed maintenance practices of farmers, and hence, on their access to genetic resources. The second aim is to identify and analyse different stakeholders' perceptions of the issue at hand, as well as their interests and the values they ascribe to them.

Alternative food network (AFN) cases are now reported in many countries worldwide. They are growing in Hungary as well, though the alternative food movement is still at an early stage of development (Benedek & Balázs, 2014a). The current study aims to deepen our understanding of the personal experience of participants in AFNs in Hungary by revealing their motivation for participation. This paper presents empirical research carried out among members of different AFNs located in Hungary. Based on the analysis of qualitative interviews, the main motivational factors *This research was supported by project No. EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00007, titled Aspects on the development of intelligent, sustainable and inclusive society: social, technological, innovation networks in employment and digital economy. The project has been supported by the European Union, co-financed by the European Social Fund and the budget of Hungary. **We are grateful to the members of the Corvinus University of Budapest research team on social innovation are identified by the different types of AFNs. Two types of motivational factors can be classified: individual and community-based factors. The individual factors range from security-based factors to self-realization-related factors, in line with the classical model of Maslow's theory of needs (1943). The community-based motivational factors range from motivations directly related to the community around food to abstract ideas related to the food system ; Los casos de redes de comida alternativa surgen en muchos países del mundo. También están creciendo en Hungría, aunque estos movimientos aún se encuentran en una etapa temprana de desarrollo (Benedek & Balázs, 2014a). El presente estudio tiene como objetivo profundizar nuestra comprensión de la experiencia personal de los participantes en las redes en Hungría al revelar su motivación para participar. Este artículo presenta la investigación empírica realizada entre miembros de diferentes redes ubicadas en Hungría. A partir del análisis de entrevistas cualitativas, los principales factores motivacionales son identificados por los diferentes tipos de redes. Se pueden clasificar dos tipos de factores motivacionales: factores individuales y comunitarios. Los factores individuales van desde factores basados en la seguridad hasta factores relacionados con la autorrealización, en línea con el modelo clásico de la teoría de las necesidades de Maslow (1943). Los factores de motivación basados en la comunidad van desde motivaciones directamente relacionadas con la comunidad en torno a la comida hasta ideas abstractas relacionadas con el sistema alimentario

This article reflects on a participatory action research process in partnership with segregated Roma communities in Hungary. It will focus on the "non-positivist good theory"-building capacity of participatory action research in situations where social distance between participants is high and where action-oriented cooperation involves numerous actors, continuously extends to new stakeholders and areas, and aims to contribute to long-term and general social goals. Special attention will be paid to the effects of three phenomena: extreme poverty, extreme egalitarianism, and community hierarchy. We show that as cooperation shifts from discussions to actions and theories-in-use start dominating the process, PAR might become a complex and fuzzy process, characterized by numerous pragmatic and ethical challenges and contradictions. Thus, in a setting described above, it is a rather challenging task for PAR to create a "non-positivist good theory": one which enables and empowers community members to make pragmatic and sustainable changes in their lives.

An approach that has been suggested as potentially addressing the challenges of science-policy-interfaces (SPIs) is the mobilization of existing networks through a 'network-of-networks' (NoN) approach. This paper shares empirical findings from a mixed-method study, combining qualitative and quantitative data, that critically evaluates the 'network-of-networks' approach for SPIs. To establish whether and how a NoN can help existing networks act more effectively at the boundary of science and policy, we use the Eklipse Mechanism as a key example. We analyse the major characteristics of networks active in biodiversity-focused science-policy interactions, the potential roles and types of engagement of participants, and the major challenges faced by networks and individuals when acting at the boundaries of science and policy. Results suggest that the more diverse the actors involved, the more effective the SPI. While a formalized EU-level SPI for biodiversity is welcomed by most respondents, willingness and actual potential to contribute to such an entity differed amongst networks, highlighting that contributions to SPIs are highly dependent on individual and organizational capacities. The challenges faced by individuals and networks range from limited resources to effective communication and achieving meaningful impact even if the institutional context is unrewarding. To make a 'network-of-networks' model fully operational requires meeting the capacity building needs of networks, providing institutional support, and creating room for wider engagement.