Systems Thinking, Mapping and Change in Food and Agriculture

Abstract

Societal actors across scales and geographies increasingly demand visual applications of systems thinking – the process of understanding and changing the reality of a system by considering its whole set of interdependencies – to address complex problems affecting food and agriculture. Yet, despite the wide offer of systems mapping tools, there is still little guidance for managers, policy-makers, civil society and changemakers in food and agriculture on how to choose, combine and use these tools on the basis of a sufficiently deep understanding of socio-ecological systems. Unfortunately, actors seeking to address complex problems with inadequate understandings of systems often have limited influence on the socio-ecological systems they inhabit, and sometimes even generate unintended negative consequences. Hence, we first review, discuss and exemplify seven key features of systems that should be – but rarely have been – incorporated in strategic decisions in the agri-food sector: interdependency, level-multiplicity, dynamism, path dependency, self-organization, non-linearity and complex causality. Second, on the basis of these features, we propose a collective process to systems mapping that grounds on the notion that the configuration of problems (i.e., how multiple issues entangle with each other) and the configuration of actors (i.e., how multiple actors relate to each other and share resources) represent two sides of the same coin. Third, we provide implications for societal actors - including decision-makers, trainers and facilitators - using systems mapping to trigger or accelerate systems change in five purposive ways: targeting multiple goals; generating ripple effects; mitigating unintended consequences; tackling systemic constraints, and collaborating with unconventional partners.

Drivers and mechanisms of pastoral system adaptation to climate change: An assessment in a French Alps case study region

“…These are: 1) climate change impacts on the local agroecosystem resources (Brilli et al, 2023); 2) a stakeholder-based assessment of socioeconomic sensitivity, directly or indirectly linked to those changes. This was based on a step-by-step system mapping development (Dentoni et al 2022); and 3) an exploration of the 'pro-active' adaptation practices that local farmers could mobilize. The process was aimed at developing a FCM focused on local farmers' perception of the cause-effect links and mechanisms driving the management of the local pastoral system, and of the potential changes in upland pasture utilization.…”

System stress with expanded use of interconnectors in the transition to net-zero

“…Finally, there is a need for regulations that ensure the responsible and ethical treatment of insects used for feed production, to address any potential ethical concerns regarding the use of insects as a novel sustainable source of protein. Further research is needed to address these concerns with multi-stakeholder perspective techniques such as systems mapping and systems thinking (for a review refer to Dentoni et al, 2022).…”