How did that work?

A team of researchers developed a game to encourage sustainable practices in livestock farming. They used boundary objects such as a list of livestock categories, management options vignettes, and socio-economic indicators to create interactive activities for their Transformation Game.

So, who won the game?

The playful social experiment was more focused on teamwork, knowledge sharing, and negotiation rather than competition. In other words, a win-win situation for all players.

Each participant used a simulation tool and a board game to appreciate the environmental and socio-economic impacts of changing farming practices. The game engaged agri-food stakeholders to discuss complex problems such as sustainable farming.

According to the authors, using boundary objects in the learning game helped participants transition to sustainable agriculture by helping them brainstorm about trade-offs (e.g., individual needs vs. societal needs).