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BAB 056/22: Applying an agri-food systems approach

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BAB 056/22: Applying an agri-food systems approach

Created: 22 March 2022
Last Updated: 03 January 2024

BAB 056/22: Applying an agri-food systems approach

Basic principles and an analysis using the example of conflicting goals in land use

Initial situation

UN sustainability goals, the European Green Deal (with the "Farm to Fork" strategy, the biodiversity strategy for 2030) etc. are responses to social challenges. The goals pursued and measures taken have an impact on the agricultural, environmental and food sectors, among others. However, the demands placed on these areas (e.g. food security, extensive farming, ecosystem services) and the measures taken not only result in synergies but also potential conflicts of objectives due to the complex interrelationships. An analysis of the actors, activities, driving forces and results, the relationships between these elements, etc. increasingly requires scientific perspectives and methods that view economies and societies as embedded parts of the biosphere, in addition to sectoral and disciplinary approaches. Such a systemic approach makes it possible to identify and analyze complex interrelationships, synergy effects, conflicting goals and system innovations. Land is an essential and scarce resource for agricultural, environmental and food systems (AEE systems).
As such, there are numerous possible uses, some of which compete with each other, such as agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, recreation, tourism, housing, transportation and energy.Even within agriculture, different uses (e.g. production of food or energy crops, keeping cultivated land open) and farming methods (conventional, organic, sustainable intensification, use or non-use of pesticides, etc.) have different effects, including intended and/or unintended consequences in other areas of the economy and society.In addition, various political programs and measures (e.g. farm-to-fork strategy, biodiversity strategy, the ÖPUL agri-environmental program) formulate requirements and objectives for land use (e.g. climate protection, biodiversity conservation), which in turn can result in conflicting objectives for land use.

Objective

The aim of the project is to develop the theoretical and methodological basis for a systemic assessment of the AUE systems in Austria in order to be able to present and analyze the increasing networking and complexity, scarcity of resources and crises, changing social demands, etc. The project is divided into three work packages, which will be worked on in parallel.In terms of content, the project is divided into three work packages, which are worked on in parallel.Findings from the "Theory" and "Methods" work packages will be incorporated into an applied systemic analysis in the "Case study: Conflicting land use objectives" work package.The results of this can in turn be used to further develop the theoretical and methodological foundations. The fundamental work primarily serves to analyze AUE systems. Based on the results, concrete recommendations for stakeholders (e.g. beneficiaries of agri-environmental programmes, the BML, state governments, the scientific community, the Chamber(s) of Agriculture, civil society organizations) can be derived in a further step.
In three parallel work packages (theory, methods, case study: conflicting land use objectives), the state of research on theories and methods for a systemic view of agricultural, environmental and food systems was surveyed and presented, and a specific case study on conflicting land use objectives in connection with livestock farming was processed.
The work of the first year of the project was summarized in an interim report.Regular project coordination meetings were held to exchange information and coordinate the work packages.

Work 2024

In the first half of the third project year, the activities in the theory and methods work packages will be continued and deepened and links to the results of the case study work package will be established.In the second half of the year, the results from the work packages will be combined and published in a joint project report.

Work Package "Theory"
(Head of work package: Yvonne Stickler)

Status of the work package
Based on a literature review, the origins and key ideas of systems theory, cultural and linguistic contexts and the relationship to other research approaches were presented and discussed. Central ideas, terms and concepts such as (sub)systems and their boundaries, relations, interactions and feedback loops were explained and discussed. Important system properties and concepts such as emergence, resilience and sustainability were defined, related to each other and placed in the context of specific research questions.
After an initially broad-based research, the key findings were structured and processed and then summarized for the final report. The work carried out up to the end of 2022 was also presented in an interim report.
Based on these general findings, the area of agricultural, environmental and food systems was then described and analyzed from a systemic perspective. Regional and structural differences and the associated characterization options were explained and selected system processes, such as system responses to perturbations, were discussed.
Work 2024
In the third project year, a systemic examination of specific, current policy projects such as the Green Deal's Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 will be carried out, which will deal with underlying paradigms and evidence, possible conflicts of objectives and consistency between current policy projects in general and from an Austrian perspective.
The entire output of this work package, consisting of a theory overview, analyses of policy projects and conclusions, will be combined with the results from the other work packages by the end of 2024 and published in a joint project report.

Work Package "Methods"
(Work package leader: Christoph Tribl)

Status of the work package
Various methods are used in the literature to describe and analyze systems in general and AUE systems in particular. In the course of a thematically broad literature research, the qualitative and quantitative methods used are continuously recorded and structured, including models used, existing databases, indicators, etc. On the basis of the literature research, the work of the "case study" work package was continuously supported methodically. The work carried out in 2022 was presented in an interim report. In exchange with the other work packages, a first draft of the presentation and discussion of methods for analyzing various concepts, terms and questions of systems theory and systemic research work was carried out in 2023, in addition to ongoing literature research for the final report.
Work in 2024
In 2024, the presentation and discussion of methods will also take particular account of issues relating to AUE systems, while also highlighting research/evidence gaps. Particular attention will also be paid to those methods that are currently used, for example, for analyses of the Farm to Fork Strategy or the Green Deal's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The results from this work package are presented in the joint final project report.

Work package "Case study: Conflicts of objectives in land use"
(Work package leaders: Heidelinde Grüneis, Karin Heinschink)

Status of the work package
In 2023, the focus of the work was on a general examination of topics relevant to the WP case study, in particular the areas of land use, agriculture and conflicts of use. The tasks included literature research, a survey using guided interviews with experts and an analysis of the information collected. The results of this work were documented in outputs such as transcripts and mind maps. Essentially, several topics related to land use and livestock farming were identified and considered from different perspectives (e.g. agriculture, politics, society). The meetings and coordination took place within the WP and with the involvement of the two work packages "Theory" and "Methods".In 2022, the focus of the work was on a general examination of topics relevant to the WP case study, in particular the areas of land use, agriculture and conflicts of use. The tasks included literature research, a survey using guided interviews with experts and an analysis of the information collected. The results of this work were documented in outputs such as transcripts and mind maps. Essentially, several topics related to land use and livestock farming were identified and considered from different perspectives (e.g. agriculture, politics, society). The meetings and coordination took place within the WP and with the involvement of the two work packages "Theory" and "Methods".
Based on the results of the previous work, the topic of chicken fattening was selected in 2023 and examined in greater depth as part of the case study.
To this end, quantitative and qualitative information was researched and interviews and a farm visit were conducted.
Work 2024
In 2024, the findings from the case study on chicken fattening will be documented in a report and, where possible, additional aspects will be addressed, for exampleConflicting objectives of affected stakeholders, (path) dependencies, synergies and trade-offs from the different possible uses and requirements for land use, the practical handling of conflicting objectives and existing or possible solutions.