THE PANORAMIC TABLE: A CONTRIBUTION TO STRATEGIC AND PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF A PLANT BREEDING SITUATION

Abstract

Once in a while, every plant breeding project has to face a difficult situation: for example, objectives not reached, insufficient production of new genetic material, poor variety adoption and context change. In most cases, the problems are biological in nature, but they may also arise from poor situation analysis leading to inappropriate selection criteria or failing seed systems. We believe that plant breeders need special tools for analysing the human situations in which they are immersed. Such tools would assist them in identifying strategies which are favourable for one, several or all of the actors in a situation. Comprehensive sociology proposes a method derived from actionist analysis. This method relies on a situation description organized in a Panoramic or Pan Table (PT) and on empathetic induction by the breeder of the actors' positions. The PT facilitates the identification of the zones of potential conflict. This paper is methodological. We show how to use the PT method in a real situation for tactical or strategic purposes. In our example, the breeder has to elaborate a specification for a cotton breeding project in the case of a commodity chain that is co-ordinated by a national cotton company. After describing the PT method and its use, we discuss its limitations and the way human problems can be taken into account when elaborating strategies for action.