Sense of Biodiversity: Invisible Knowing in (Dis)Appearing Farming Landscapes (BIOSENSE)
Description of the granted funding
Techno-scientific agricultural practices have led to land degradation, habitat loss, and species extinction. BIOSENSE examines the often-overlooked role of farmers' sensory engagement with farming landscapes in safeguarding biodiversity. Focusing on boreal climates, the project combines sensory ethnography with biodiversity assessments to study 10 small-scale farms in Finland, Norway, and Canada. It explores how farmers use their senses to engage with plants, soil, animals, microbial life, and weather conditions, and how this sensory knowledge is developed, shared, and passed down through generations to maintain multispecies landscapes. By introducing new, emplaced methods for studying and safeguarding biodiversity, BIOSENSE provides tools that enable farmers to respond to changing environmental conditions. It repositions biodiversity as a critical priority and offers novel insights into understanding and preserving life on Earth in the face of global challenges.
Show moreStarting year
2025
End year
2029
Granted funding
Funder
Research Council of Finland
Funding instrument
Academy research fellows
Decision maker
Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Humanities
17.06.2025
17.06.2025
Other information
Funding decision number
368351
Fields of science
Other social sciences
Research fields
Yhteiskuntatieteellinen ympäristötutkimus