Co-creative research for transitioning toward a fair and sustainable agri-food system in Brussels, Belgium

The agri-food system is facing a range of social-ecological threats, many of which are caused and amplified by industrial agriculture. In response, numerous sustainable agriculture narratives have emerged, proposing solutions to the challenges facing the agri-food system. One such narrative that has recently risen to prominence is regenerative agriculture. However, the drivers for the rapid emergence of regenerative agriculture are not well understood. Furthermore, its transformative potential for supporting a more sustainable agri-food system is underexplored. Through a genealogical analysis of four prominent sustainable agriculture narratives; organic agriculture, conservation agriculture, sustainable intensification, and agroecology; we consider how regenerative agriculture’s growing momentum can be contextualised within existing narratives and explore the implications this might have for its transformative potential. This analysis reveals that the genealogies of these sustainable agriculture narratives have led to a number of contestations and complementarities which have coalesced to drive the emergence of regenerative agriculture. We also find that, in contrast to agroecology, regenerative agriculture shares with other Global North narratives a limited scope for offering transformative pathways for agricultural production. This is largely due to their inadequate consideration of power and equity issues in the agri-food system. We argue that regenerative agriculture therefore risks inhibiting deeper agri-food system transformations that address both social and ecological challenges and is not the unifying sustainable agriculture narrative it claims to be. Nonetheless, regenerative agriculture could contribute towards a broader plurality of sustainable agriculture narratives that collectively might enable a transformation to a more sustainable, diverse, and just agri-food system.

Global agri-food system will face great pressure to meet the continuing demands for food due to the increasing number of world population. The high demand requires an increase in food production and agricultural output, which, therefore, means more raw materials, water, energy, and other resources needed. Increasing the amount of these resources for agri-food system will harm the environment since carbon dioxide generated by the burning of fuel will then result in global warming and climate change. This paper discusses global issues related to sustainable agri-food system, such as climate change, sustainability, green products, food loss and food mileage relationships with emissions. It describes Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) philosophy and how LCT is operated into practical applications, using Spanish Agri-food system as an example, and challenges for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applications in supporting sustainable agri-food systems. Environmental impacts associated with agri-food system need to be reduced. The use of an LCA framework to determine the areas with the greatest impact and reduction strategies for agri-food operation is a viable strategy to reduce the environmental impacts in facing the increasing global demand. Nevertheless, the application of LCA in agri-food systems varies due to global, regional, and local differences in its practice. Thus, it makes it difficult for general LCAs to be conducted on agri-food system. Despite the increasing number of LCA studies in agri-food system, the literature on methodological aspects, and case studies, some challenges still need to be addressed to ensure that LCA provides significant results.

Niche markets for sustainable agri-food systems: A systematic review.

Designing a research agenda for coupled innovation towards sustainable agrifood systems

Climate change poses a greater threat for more exposed and vulnerable countries, communities and social groups. People whose livelihood depends on the agriculture and food sector, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), face significant risk. In contexts with gendered roles in agri-food systems or where structural constraints to gender equality underlie unequal access to resources and services and constrain women’s agency, local climate hazards and stressors, such as droughts, floods, or shortened crop-growing seasons, tend to negatively affect women more than men and women’s adaptive capacities tend to be more restrained than men’s. Transformation toward just and sustainable agri-food systems in the face of climate change will not only depend on reducing but also on averting aggravated gender inequality in agri-food systems. In this paper, we developed and applied an accessible and versatile methodology to identify and map localities where climate change poses high risk especially for women in agri-food systems because of gendered exposure and vulnerability. We label these localities climate-agriculture-gender inequality hotspots. Applying our methodology to LMICs reveals that the countries at highest risk are majorly situated in Africa and Asia. Applying our methodology for agricultural activity-specific hotspot subnational areas to four focus countries, Mali, Zambia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, for instance, identifies a cluster of districts in Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions in Bangladesh as a hotspot for rice. The relevance and urgency of identifying localities where climate change hits agri-food systems hardest and is likely to negatively affect population groups or sectors that are particularly vulnerable is increasingly acknowledged in the literature and, in the spirit of leaving no one behind, in climate and development policy arenas. Hotspot maps can guide the allocation of scarce resources to most-at-risk populations. The climate-agriculture-gender inequality hotspot maps show where women involved in agri-food systems are at high climate risk while signaling that reducing this risk requires addressing the structural barriers to gender equality.

Making agri-food systems in Europe more sustainable often requires systemic change. Transformative rather than incremental change is difficult if agri-food systems are locked into unsustainable practices by a range of institutional, cultural, social and financial factors that create mutually reinforcing barriers to change. Institutionalised public policies tend to further stabilise the established system through multiple feedback effects, bolstering unsustainable path dependencies. Co-design has been discussed as an innovative approach to developing operational options in agri-food systems. However, co-design methods have rarely been applied to develop policy options. This paper presents the experiences with a policy co-design process for the envisioned sustainability transformation of conventional pork production in Brandenburg, Germany. Combining an agri-food system perspective with the policy co-design literature, we developed (1) a process template for a participatory policy co-design process to overcome barriers and lock-ins along the three levels of policy mixes: objectives, instruments and calibration; and (2) a conceptual framework for the systematic analysis of this process and its output. The successful implementation of the policy co-creation process in the case study constitutes a proof of concept. An unexpected limitation was that full specification of instrument calibrations was not realistic. In policy processes, this is typically part of hard negotiation processes. The systematic analysis of the participatory development of policy options along the three levels of policy mixes confirms and refines the possible role of co-design approaches for public policies in the transformation of agri-food systems.

In this chapter, I discuss some important theoretical issues that should be addressed when attempting a sustainability assessment of the biophysical performance of agri-food systems. Assessing the sustainability of an agri-food system is a complex matter due to the multi-functional nature of agriculture and the multi-scale nature of the relations between agroecosystems and socio-economic systems. The complexification of the agri-food system makes it difficult to clearly establish what is local, and what can be described as a short food chain, and we might be confronted with cases where, according to certain environmental criteria, products imported from a long distance can perform better than locally produced ones. I argue that a fund/flow analysis is a very useful approach when assessing the pressure on biophysical systems and monitoring their health (stock/flow, and flow/flow may also be useful approaches). Energy is the cornerstone of any living system, including societies. I discuss how energy efficiency and energy flow (power) need to be understood as mutually dependent factors, and how they play a key role in interfacing with the performance of the agri-food and socio-economic systems. If we address societies as living systems, we adopt the concept of metabolism as a useful approach to study the functioning of the biophysical characteristics of agri-food systems and societies alike. In this chapter, I review the history of the concept of metabolism in this context and the approaches taken by the two main schools of thought on the topic. As many definitions are found in literature on the subject, I try to suggest two possible definitions, taking into account the specific approaches. The Vienna school, led by Marina Fischer-Kowalski, embraces a stock/flow and flow/flow approach, considering society as a black box. I would suggest naming this approach “steady-state social metabolism”, or, for short, “social metabolism”. The Barcelona school, led by Mario Giampietro, addresses the relation between fund/flow patterns taking place in a society (its internal organisation), and the fund/flow patterns taking place in its environment as a co-evolutionary, self-organising process. I would suggest naming this approach “co-evolutionary societal-ecological metabolism”, or, for short, “societal metabolism”. Finally, I stress that a biophysical analysis has to be carried out in parallel with an analysis of the socio-economic dimension of a society, as the two dimensions are strictly correlated. I point out that in order to develop a more sustainable agri-food system, we have to intervene in the very functioning of society, and that the complex nature of society’s metabolism has to be carefully addressed.

The Introduction sets the tone for the book by outlining the main concepts, debates and applications illustrated by the various contributions in this volume. The theme of Local Food Systems (LFS) is a complex one, and therefore a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary effort, drawing on a myriad of research concepts and frameworks. The chapter begins by embedding the food debate within the broader sustainability discussion. It highlights issues around future demand and supply scenarios, current production and consumption patterns, and the challenges of addressing some of these issues in the context of climate change. The chapter also provides a review of some of the responses so far to counter the current unsustainability of the global agri-food system. Initiatives and concepts such as local food systems, localisation, food security and sovereignty are discussed, drawing on examples from both the Global North and South. Since the volume is about socio-metabolic approaches to agri-food systems, the chapter also introduces the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of this approach, and how this relates to political ecology, social conflicts and environmental justice. The chapter ends with an introduction to the various contributions in this volume that discuss the following cross-cutting issues: the necessity to consider local cases as nested in regional, national and global scales, including the debate on what might be an optimal scale for food regionalisation or sovereignty; the agenda of re-localisation and its political and ideological background in relation to biophysical/socio-metabolic insights with respect to LFS; the inclusion of trade in the methodological and ideological framework of LFS studies; the multi-functionality of agriculture and various related metrics of efficiency in agriculture (including the energy efficiency/EROI variables); the biophysical performance of other, more sustainability-focused, production regimes; the land-sparing versus land-sharing debate in connection to the biodiversity and landscape multi-functionality of both historical and existing agri-food systems; the role of livestock in various agri-food systems, and the related issue of meat consumption and dietary transition as part of a broader metabolic transition happening in many parts of the world; the issue of labour in terms of efficiency, and also in broader social and economic contexts; the political underpinnings of peasant livelihoods, existing social conflicts and uneven ecological exchange related to food; the issue of democratisation of food systems, access to means of production for fulfilling basic needs, and the agenda of food sovereignty. The contributors to this volume all ask the following two questions: Which local food systems or their particular characteristics can serve as the best practice examples for maintaining and designing more sustainable agri-food systems in the future? Which scientific and policy relevant insights can the socio-metabolic approach offer with respect to studying the sustainability of local food systems?

Participatory action research is a process in which researchers operate as full collaborators with members of an organization (stakeholders) in linking theory and research to acceptable and effective practice. Schools are being charged to use this approach to address the challenges of developing system-level interventions for many of their current problematic areas, such as family-school partnerships with economically disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse families. Participatory action research is a means for school psychologists, as participatory researchers, to provide leadership for collaborative research within schools for the development of system-level interventions. A case study is described in which a school psychologist served as the participatory researcher in an action research process for the development of a family-school partnership program in a Chapter I, ethnically and linguistically diverse elementary school. The outcomes indicated that the participatory action research process resulted in the design and implementation of a research-based family-school partnership program that was culturally specific, was acceptable to stakeholders (parents and teachers), and had the potential for sustainability. Participatory action research is a viable means for school psychologists to provide leadership in developing research-based, effective and acceptable system-level interventions in their schools.

Participatory action research represents the convergence of two intellectual and practical traditions, that of action research and participatory research. Although participatory action research is by no means uncontentious, it has become a familiar term to social research practitioners. However, in recent years critiques of Western epistemologies by sociologists of knowledge, feminists, post-colonialists and postmodern scholars present challenges for participatory action research in Africa. This article critically examines epistemologies that support and underpin participatory action research. It particularly interrogates the dominance of Western epistemologies in supporting models of participatory action research used in Africa and elsewhere, and explores spaces for indigenous epistemologies and Western epistemologies to be performed together within participatory action research processes.

Rethinking food loss and waste to promote sustainable resource use and climate change mitigation in agri-food systems: A review.

List of Illustrations List of Tables Preface: A Personal History Acknowledgments Introduction PART I Agrifood Systems History and Future 1. Eating Stardust: Population, Food, and Agriculture on Planet Earth 2. Agricultural Revolutions 3. Thinking Critically about Sustainable Agrifood Systems 4. Sustainable Agrifood Systems: Three Emphases PART II Moving toward Sustainable Agrifood Systems: A Balancing Act 5. Managing Evolution: Plant Breeding and Biotechnology 6. Managing Agricultural Ecosystems: The Critical Role of Diversity 7. Managing People: The Common Property Option 8. The Big Solutions: Climate Change, Resource Cycles, and Diet 9. The Big Solutions: Localizing Agrifood Systems Appendix 1. Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Symbols Appendix 2. Metric Units and Metric-English Unit Conversions Notes References Index

Chapter 1 2 Agrifood systems and their environmental and social impactsAgrifood systems comprise the entire range of actors and interlinked activities that add value in agricultural production and related off-farm activities such as food storage, processing, distribution and consumption (FAO, 2023).They are responsible for providing sufficient nutritious food for a growing and wealthier global population (FAO, 2022; OECD and FAO, 2022).Agrifood systems account for more than a quarter of global total employment, which is crucial for social stability.Meanwhile, linear and inefficient agrifood systems have caused substantial losses of nitrogen (N), water and carbon (C) from the system, inducing severe environmental problems (Springmann et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2022a).They emit about 30% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs), create about 32% of acid emissions, are responsible for about 80% of freshwater and marine eutrophication, and account for about 70% of the global freshwater withdrawals (Poore and Nemecek, 2018; FAO, 2021).Reconciling food security with the environment and social stability necessitates transitioning to circular, environmentally sustainable agrifood systems (Ambikapathi et al.,

Since the early 1980s, participatory health research has been applied in the health field in Latin America; however, there is little knowledge about the approaches, directions, and specific types of participatory research related to chronic diseases. Thus, our aim in this chapter is to examine the participatory health research carried out on chronic noncommunicable diseases in the Latin American countries. We divided the chapter into three sections. The first describes the origins and emergence of participatory research and its variants in the region; the second gives an account of previous literature reviews on participatory health research; and the third is a review of 26 articles that use such research and focuses on chronic conditions. We identified four approaches: participatory action research, action research, community-based participatory research, and participatory research. The community’s participants were chronically sick people and their families as well as health workers and university staff working in the health services. The main aim of the participation was to change health knowledge and behaviors regarding risk factors and chronic conditions, and the nature of participation was passive in the form of consultation. We conclude that participatory action research has been displaced in the reviewed studies, since action research and participatory research have become the most commonly used approaches in the region.

Research Article| October 01 2021 A Study of Local Government in Africa through Participatory Action Research (PAR) Rasel Mpuya Madaha Rasel Mpuya Madaha Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar National Review of Black Politics (2021) 2 (3-4): 195–214. https://doi.org/10.1525/nrbp.2021.2.3-4.195 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Rasel Mpuya Madaha; A Study of Local Government in Africa through Participatory Action Research (PAR). National Review of Black Politics 1 October 2021; 2 (3-4): 195–214. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nrbp.2021.2.3-4.195 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentNational Review of Black Politics Search Studies on local governments suggest a need for reforms on the management of such units (see Warremn 1986; Max 1991; Brans 1992; Watt 2006; Faguet 2009; Booth 2011; Kim 2018). Globally, there are shortfalls that cause local government structures to fail in adequately providing public services in line with the needs and aspirations of local communities. Although autonomous local governments can improve the well-being of their citizens by widening opportunities, increasing administrative and economic efficiency (Erlingsson and Ödalen 2013), reducing poverty (Boex and Martinez-Vazquez 2006), increasing democratic control and accountability (Wollmann 2004), and improving efficiency and equity in service distribution (Kubal 2006), critics contend that local governments have failed to provide public services effectively and efficiently. Ebinger, Grohs, and Reiter (2011) point out that local governments tend to favor special interest groups and local executives,... You do not currently have access to this content.