How can combining research, practice, and policy in a systematic approach contribute to strengthening the implementation of European policies on sustainable agro-ecological farming whilst solving societal challenges?
Science has a role in contributing with knowledge to environmental and sustainability education, and translating new advancements into messages in the specific language of various actors, to assist policy and value chain actors including consumers in the transition towards sustainable food systems.
Definition of agro-ecology and typology of agro-ecological farming systems: In UNISECO we developed a typology of agro-ecological farming systems and practices encompassing different implementation scales of such practices at field, farming systems and landscape levels.
Agro-ecological transitions: farm-level strategies: All the 15 UNISECO Case Studies contain a key dilemma associated with the transition to agro-ecological farming systems. Explore the different scopes and topics our case studies cover.
Territorial sustainability impacts of agro-ecological transitions: We assessed the territorial impact of agro-ecological farming practices and food systems transformation in the EU in 2050.
Socio-ecological systems framework for agro-ecological transitions: To analyse the transition of farming systems, in UNISECO we adapted the theoretical framework of socio-ecological systems (SES) developed by Ostrom. This framework provides a holistic approach to integrating both the natural and the social aspects when analysing a complex situation or problem.
Networks of actors and governance systems in agro-ecological transitions: One of the key aspects developed in the socio-ecological systems framework is the analysis of the social system. It is composed of two sub-systems: the network of actors involved and the governance systems that influence the actions undertaken by the actors.
Market and policy incentives: Our findings highlighted that the existing market and policy incentives such as agri-environmental schemes and support for advisory services have positive effects on the decisions of farmers to adopt more ecological practices and motivate farmers to initiate or continue the transition. What are the key positive factors identified?
Science-policy interaction: The UNISECO project results are intended to contribute to the implementation of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the preparations of the European R&I partnership on agroecology living labs and research infrastructures, and the national CAP Strategic Plans.
Transdisciplinary Multi-actor platforms: MAPs have been a core part of the transdisciplinary approach in UNISECO. The MAPs and research consortium, across disciplinary boundaries and non-academic organisations, form an integrative transdisciplinary framework.
Tools from UNISECO: The methodological factsheets offer actors from science, practice and policy guidelines for applying different methodologies when developing strategies for agro-ecological transitions in co-constructive settings.
Tools from UNISECO: Socio-Ecological System Interaction Tool (SESSIT) focuses on the dilemma of sustainable food production and communicates agro-ecological solutions between farmers and with other people interested in food production.
Tools from UNISECO: Practice briefs - UNISECO has also produced a series of recommendations for practitioners and policy makers to identify issues and promote good practices.
Further research needs: There is a lot of scope and potential for research and innovation in the field of agro-ecological transitions. What are the future research needs that we encountered during the continuous multi-actor discussions?
Introduction
Research and innovation are at the forefront to advance knowledge, know-how and technology development for agro-ecological transitions.
In these pages we present the role of research and innovation in advancing agro-ecological farming systems and provide insights into transdisciplinary research combining knowledge and expertise from science, practice and policy to inform the implementation of European policies on sustainable agro-ecological farming whilst solving societal challenges.
We introduce the tools and results from the H2020 project UNISECO: Understanding and improving the sustainability of Agro-ecological Farming Systems in the European Union, which aimed at analysing socio-economic and policy drivers and barriers for the further development and adoption of agro-ecological approaches in farming systems.
In this project we carried out case studies engaging local actors in Multi-Actor Platforms in 15 European countries covering a diverse range of farming systems and agro-ecological practices covering incremental and transformational transition stages.
We showcase the results of the case studies across Europe and of the territorial implications of large-scale implementation of agro-ecological transitions in the context of different food systems scenarios at EU-level.
Learn about the methodologies and tools we used and adapted in UNISECO specifically for the analysis of agro-ecological farming systems and their governance, including the social-ecological systems (SES) framework, a typology for agro-ecological farming systems, social network analysis, multi-criteria analysis, scenario analysis to study holistically the multi-facetted dimensions of farming systems transition towards agroecology, and to visualise the results in our online tool, the Social-ecological System Interaction Tool.
We also present the future research needs that we encountered during the continuous multi-actor discussions across the science-policy-practice interfaces in the UNISECO project.