Interdisciplinary dialogue for sustainable systems

![CDATA[Why do ‘birds of a feather flock together?’ Is it possible for individuals and groups from different philosophical backgrounds and disciplines to agree on ways to solve problems? Arguments abound about the importance and necessity of involving all stakeholders in decision making. Some say that interdisciplinary groups are essential to such a process to avoid the narrow focus of uni-disciplinary groups, yet others argue that competition among disciplines may be more fruitful than co-operation. Most do agree that the way forward, to achieve more sustainable development so as to avoid past mistakes, is seen as requiring more debate from a broader stakeholder base, one that does not just involve ‘experts’. Why then does this so rarely happen satisfactorily? There are many blocks to the interdisciplinary approach at societal and policy levels. Even though, at different levels in our daily lives we interact with many different citizens. But, when it comes to professional decisions, we seem to feel more comfortable interacting with those of the same ‘feather’. Linking farming with the many levels of government and private sectors and other parts of the food chain system is a complex process. This paper reviews the dialogue between experts at an interdisciplinary workshop funded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Ballina, Australia. The Pressure State Response model formed the basis of the dialogue. Within the example of a biophysical context of diffuse source pollution from agriculture, 50 experts from the social, environmental and economic disciplines, therefore representing the sustainability model, discussed how to overcome the barriers to effectively, aligning policies and acknowledging and working with the vastly different world views of the participants.]]