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Access, power and adaptation:Researching the emergence of markets for biodiversity

offsets

Dr Carlos Ferreira

Methods and Ethics Seminar

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Outline

Biodiversity offsets

Researching market emergence

Context

Approach

Constraints

Ethical approval process

Adapting methods

Boundaries and questions

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Biodiversity Offsets

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Biodiversity offsets?

Biodiversity offsetting is a measure that essentially permits developments thatsacrifice the conservation values of one area in return for improved conservation

values of another.

Like it or not, biodiversity offsetting is part of our future

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Objectives

1. To correct negative impacts of development

and consumption;

2. To improve companies social license tooperate, managing reputation and assuring

stakeholders (ten Kate & Inbar 2008);

3. To re-organise the relationship between society,the economy and nature (Ferreira 2013).

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Markets for Biodiversity Offsets

Biodiversity offsets may be bought from thirdparties;

Acceptable offsets include: Compensation areas, close to the developed area;

Specifically created biodiversity banks;

Land management activities;

No Net Loss of Biodiversity(ten Kate et al. 2004;BBOP 2012)

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No Net Loss of Biodiversity

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Researching market emergence

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Research Context

PhD Project;

Financed by the Sustainable Consumption

Institute (University of Manchester);

Project started on the Department of Economics

Ontological, epistemological, methodological issues

Project concluded on the Business School

Strong ANT component to the approach

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Approach

Think of markets as forms of governance;

Research processes involved in emergence ofmarkets

not on market schedule or economic efficiency;

Look for possible causes of those processes

Agents;

Geographies; Technologies.

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Three research foci

Case

studies

Agents

TechnologiesGeographies

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Ethical approval process

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Why ethical approval matters

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The ethical approval process

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Best Practice

Highlights issues surrounding: Integrity in analysis/presentation of results;

Avoidance of harm to all involved;

Confidentiality, anonymity & data protection;

Independence of researchers, conflicts of interest.

Candidates must: Demonstrate a clear research plan;

Understand potential problems and pitfalls;

Indicate strategies to mitigate problems;

Collect appropriate and proportionate information.

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Adapting Methods

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An a-typical set of obstacles

Very small network of agents

Potential number of interviewees is very small

Secondary and Primary data come from samesources

Report authors and promoters are the same;

All interviewees belong to elite groups

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Interviewing elites: challenges

Elites

Power

TimeAccess

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No interviewees, no PhD

Biodiversity Offsets: over-researched given their actual

impact

Research often very critical;

Social science research not the natural academic fit for

potential interviewees No incentive in taking part;

Geographical spread of sample vs research budget.

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Bad sample, bad data

Majority of agents ignored/refused invitations to

participate

Problems with theoretical saturation.

Time/location constraints Most interviews in VOIP.

Self-censoring participants Lack of non-verbal cues may have been involved.

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Adapting

Participant-as-observer ethnographic observation(Gold 1958)

Researcher to go to workshops on the topic;

Public presentations and informal conversations withrelevant agents.

No ethical approval was sought for the newstrategy

Time and cost concerns.

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Getting on with it

About 40% of the total material comes fromethnographic observation;

Participant-as-observer riven with ethicalchallenges (Bryman & Bell 2007);

Supervisors supported the decision

Not sure about ethical implications

PhD successfully completed, no questionsabout methodology!

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Boundaries and questions

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Approval is only the beginning

The strength of the ethical approval process is its

instituted character: Rules-based;

Clear boundaries & procedures;

Binds researchers to best practice.

That is also its main weakness: Research throws up difficult questions;

Participants do not follow the ethical script;

Limited room for adaptation.

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Expect the unexpected?

No amount of ethical forms can cover all possibilities

Obligation to demonstrate parsimony in data collected vscapacity to adapt

Beyond a legalistic approach, sense & sensibility have a

role in academic research

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Fieldwork: 3 mottos

1. No plan survives contact with the enemyHelmuth von Moltke the Elder

2. If youre going through hell, keep goingWinston Churchill

3. Always look on the bright side of lifeMonty Python

Addendum

4. Always buy volcano insuranceAnonymous, c.2010

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Thank you!

Any questions?

carlos.ferreira@coventry.ac.uk

@FerreiraCEM