Factors to scale out innovative organic farming systems: A case study in Flanders region, Belgium

IF 6.1 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Agricultural Systems Pub Date : 2024-12-05 DOI:10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104219

Alba Alonso-Adame , Siavash Farahbakhsh , Jef Van Meensel , Fleur Marchand , Steven Van Passel

{"title":"Factors to scale out innovative organic farming systems: A case study in Flanders region, Belgium","authors":"Alba Alonso-Adame , Siavash Farahbakhsh , Jef Van Meensel , Fleur Marchand , Steven Van Passel","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104219","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Sustainability transitions in agri-food systems are expected to reduce their negative environmental and social impacts. On the other hand, Europe demands an increase in the agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. Innovations in agri-food systems, especially in the organic sector, could close the gap in sustainability transitions and the foreseen conversion to organic farming.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>In this study, we developed a participatory agent-based model combined with qualitative scenarios to understand which factors play a role in scaling out innovations in the organic sector and further study potential scenarios in the region of Flanders, Belgium.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Agent-based modeling is a computational simulation environment able to represent complex systems where relevant actors behave and interact with each other. This modeling approach can be combined with qualitative scenarios to elucidate potential futures for a specific context.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>A strong trend for innovative and organic food, available groups of consumers in public institutions for collaboration, subsidies to start up, and a robust farm network can help farms to adopt a sustainable innovative collaboration with public institutions. However, land availability in the Flemish context may restrain this scaling out of farm innovation.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Combining agent-based models with qualitative scenarios in a participatory approach can integrate the expertise of different stakeholders for sustainability transitions. Pragmatically, it can illustrate how a sustainability transition may take place under potential scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 104219"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Agricultural Systems","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X2400369X","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

CONTEXT

Sustainability transitions in agri-food systems are expected to reduce their negative environmental and social impacts. On the other hand, Europe demands an increase in the agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. Innovations in agri-food systems, especially in the organic sector, could close the gap in sustainability transitions and the foreseen conversion to organic farming.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we developed a participatory agent-based model combined with qualitative scenarios to understand which factors play a role in scaling out innovations in the organic sector and further study potential scenarios in the region of Flanders, Belgium.

METHODS

Agent-based modeling is a computational simulation environment able to represent complex systems where relevant actors behave and interact with each other. This modeling approach can be combined with qualitative scenarios to elucidate potential futures for a specific context.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

A strong trend for innovative and organic food, available groups of consumers in public institutions for collaboration, subsidies to start up, and a robust farm network can help farms to adopt a sustainable innovative collaboration with public institutions. However, land availability in the Flemish context may restrain this scaling out of farm innovation.

SIGNIFICANCE

Combining agent-based models with qualitative scenarios in a participatory approach can integrate the expertise of different stakeholders for sustainability transitions. Pragmatically, it can illustrate how a sustainability transition may take place under potential scenarios.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Agricultural Systems 农林科学-农业综合

CiteScore

13.30

自引率

7.60%

发文量

174

审稿时长

30 days

期刊介绍： Agricultural Systems is an international journal that deals with interactions - among the components of agricultural systems, among hierarchical levels of agricultural systems, between agricultural and other land use systems, and between agricultural systems and their natural, social and economic environments. The scope includes the development and application of systems analysis methodologies in the following areas: Systems approaches in the sustainable intensification of agriculture; pathways for sustainable intensification; crop-livestock integration; farm-level resource allocation; quantification of benefits and trade-offs at farm to landscape levels; integrative, participatory and dynamic modelling approaches for qualitative and quantitative assessments of agricultural systems and decision making; The interactions between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes; the multiple services of agricultural systems; food security and the environment; Global change and adaptation science; transformational adaptations as driven by changes in climate, policy, values and attitudes influencing the design of farming systems; Development and application of farming systems design tools and methods for impact, scenario and case study analysis; managing the complexities of dynamic agricultural systems; innovation systems and multi stakeholder arrangements that support or promote change and (or) inform policy decisions.