FBM (Fleur) Kilwinger

My ambition is to explore how integrating research methods from several disciplines generates a more holistic understanding of agro-ecological systems. I aim to understand what those methods actually do, in terms of capturing certain aspects and relations while ignoring others. With empirical findings and practical examples I illustrate how research methods do not just describe agro-ecosystems, but also shape them.

My education started at VMBO, and via an MBO in floral and gardening business, and a HBO bachelor in applied biology, I obtained a master degree in plant science. Thereafter, I started my PhD at KTI to study seed systems of vegetatively propagated crops. Through this diverse educational background, I got acquainted with applied and theoretical science, qualitative and quantitative research, and gained working experience in interdisciplinary settings. I have conducted field studies in several developing countries including Bolivia, Mozambique, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.

As part of my PhD research, I challenged dominant approaches, methods and assumptions in seed systems research. In particular, I questioned the extent to which Western frameworks can be applied to research seed systems in the Global South in the light of local contingencies, and non-epistemic and contextual values. I have combined and integrated perspectives from several social disciplines, such as psychology, economics and marketing, and linked these to relevant natural science insights.

In collaboration with several CGIAR research institutes we have developed the root, tuber and bananas (RTB) toolbox. The tools in this toolbox include methods, models, approaches, and information to analyze, design, or improve seed system interventions across humanitarian, development, and general-purpose contexts. https://tools4seedsystems.org/