Innovation Network Rural Areas and Agricultural Systems,

Although the number of studies on foresight processes and their results is increasing, the actual impact of foresight on strategic thinking and behaviour of stakeholders and the creation of new networks has received only little attention. This paper presents an evaluative framework, used for the Foresight Programme of the National Council for Agricultural Research (NRLO) in The Netherlands. The framework focuses on three critical aspects that may affect the impact of the foresight process: (1) the envisioning of the future, (2) the quality of social interactions and (3) the learning of participants. These aspects were monitored during and immediately after the foresight process by interviewing the participants. The results of the evaluation indicate that the NRLO’s Foresight Programme (1995-1999) had been effective in creating awareness, in generating interest and to some extent also in mobilising stakeholders. However, for active learning and actual changes of practices and routines to occur, foresight should be embedded in system innovation processes. For this reason, the Dutch government transformed the NRLO in the year 2000 into the Innovation Network Rural Areas an