A century of farming systems. Part 1: Concepts and evolution

Abstract

To review the evolution of Farming Systems, this paper aims to summarise highlights of international perspectives on the development and analysis of Farming Systems and supporting innovations and institutions. Farming Systems concepts have underpinned the strategies and decisions of the managers of natural resources for several million years, from hunter gatherer systems to modern farm management under changing climates, technologies and population densities. The term Farming Systems is used in two ways: first, as a description of the patterns of farm and landscape use and production; and second, as a research and development approach or process of multidisciplinary diagnosis, analysis, testing and scaling for the improvement of farming systems. Throughout history seven major drivers shaped the systematic evolution from hunter gatherer systems to modern farming and food systems, including climate, population density, natural resources, energy, and technologies. During the past Century, the Farming Systems Approach has been applied by agricultural research scientists, extension agents, planners, policy makers, geographers, and other development professionals to characterize and analyse various types of farming and to identify and scale technological and institutional innovations for supporting institutions and small and large farmers. The Farming Systems Approach itself is characterized by multidisciplinary diagnosis, analysis, innovation testing, targeting, and scaling of farming system interventions using systems, participatory and experimentation/learning methods. The Farming Systems Approach has added substantial value to agricultural research and scaling and would merit renewed investment to tackle the current complex climate, poverty, food security and rural development crises. A nested approach comprising farming systems at several level, for example, regional zones, landscapes and farms could facilitate technology adoption and scaling, improve resource use efficiency and address the pressing complex challenges of the food security-climate-rural development nexus.