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Rethinking Study and Management of Agricultural Systems for Policy Design

Author

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  • Marta G. Rivera-Ferre

    (Centre of Research in Agrifood Economy and Development, Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia, Castelldefels 08860 (Barcelona), Spain
    Department of Environment and Food, Polythecnic School, University of Vic, C/la Laura, 13, Vic 08500 (Barcelona), Spain)

  • Miguel Ortega-Cerdà

    (Fundació ENT, C/Sant Joan 39, first floor, Vilanova i la Geltrú 08800 (Barcelona), Spain
    Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology. Autonomous University of Barcelona. Bellaterra 08193 (Barcelona), Spain)

  • Johann Baumgärtner

    (Center for the Analysis of Sustainable Agro-ecological Systems (CASAS), Kensington, CA 94707, USA)

Abstract

There is a concern that agriculture will no longer be able to meet, on a global scale, the growing demand for food. Facing such a challenge requires new patterns of thinking in the context of complexity and sustainability sciences. This paper, focused on the social dimension of the study and management of agricultural systems, suggests that rethinking the study of agricultural systems entails analyzing them as complex socio-ecological systems, as well as considering the differing thinking patterns of diverse stakeholders. The intersubjective nature of knowledge, as studied by different philosophical schools, needs to be better integrated into the study and management of agricultural systems than it is done so far, forcing us to accept that there are no simplistic solutions, and to seek a better understanding of the social dimension of agriculture. Different agriculture related problems require different policy and institutional approaches. Finally, the intersubjective nature of knowledge asks for the visualization of different framings and the power relations taking place in the decision-making process. Rethinking management of agricultural systems implies that policy making should be shaped by different principles: learning, flexibility, adaptation, scale-matching, participation, diversity enhancement and precaution hold the promise to significantly improve current standard management procedures.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta G. Rivera-Ferre & Miguel Ortega-Cerdà & Johann Baumgärtner, 2013. "Rethinking Study and Management of Agricultural Systems for Policy Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(9), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:9:p:3858-3875:d:28751
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Whitney, Cory W. & Tabuti, John R.S. & Hensel, Oliver & Yeh, Ching-Hua & Gebauer, Jens & Luedeling, Eike, 2017. "Homegardens and the future of food and nutrition security in southwest Uganda," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 133-144.
    8. Julissa Alexandra Galarza-Villamar & Mariette McCampbell & Cees Leeuwis & Francesco Cecchi, 2021. "Adding Emergence and Spatiality to a Public Bad Game for Studying Dynamics in Socio-Ecological Systems (Part I): The Design of Musa-Game for Integrative Analysis of Collective Action in Banana Disease," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
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    10. Adriana Ruiz-Almeida & Marta G. Rivera-Ferre, 2019. "Internationally-based indicators to measure Agri-food systems sustainability using food sovereignty as a conceptual framework," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(6), pages 1321-1337, December.
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