IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v171y2019icp65-75.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contribution of systems thinking and complex adaptive system attributes to sustainable food production: Example from a climate-smart village

Author

Listed:
  • Jagustović, Renata
  • Zougmoré, Robert B.
  • Kessler, Aad
  • Ritsema, Coen J.
  • Keesstra, Saskia
  • Reynolds, Martin

Abstract

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) conceptually has the potential to contribute to the sustainable development goals of achieving zero hunger, reducing land degradation, eliminating poverty, tackling climate change, and promoting gender equality. The scaling-up needed to achieve goals of CSA represents a challenge, as it entails understanding synergies between often opposing socioeconomic and environmental priorities and trade-offs over temporal and spatial scales. In this paper, we tested new approaches to support scaling-up of sustainable food production through investigating the contribution of systems thinking as a conceptual approach and complex adaptive system (CAS) attributes as a framework for analysis of CSA. This was done through examining (i) to what extent CSA represents a CAS and (ii) what contribution systems thinking and CAS attributes can make to understanding and scaling-up sustainable food production systems through CSA. The CSA situation was conceptualized through systems thinking sessions with women farmers in the climate-smart village (CSV) of Doggoh-Jirapa, northern Ghana, and was guided by the Distinctions, Systems, Relationships and Perspectives (DSRP) framework. Systems thinking, and CAS attributes provide system-wide understanding of elements, dynamics and trade-offs over temporal and spatial scale in selected agri-food systems. As such it could aid horizontal and vertical scaling-up by informing policy developoment and selection of a context-specific portfolio of technologies and practices at landscape and farm levels to achieve synergies between goals. In this study, systems thinking enabled women farmers in the CSV to identify income-generating and tree planting activities, with desirable simultaneous system-wide impact. The paper calls for further testing of tools, approaches, and methods that enable dynamic systems thinking to inform scaling-up efforts, while embracing the transdisciplinary nature and complexity of CSA as a constituent of the food production system.

Suggested Citation

  • Jagustović, Renata & Zougmoré, Robert B. & Kessler, Aad & Ritsema, Coen J. & Keesstra, Saskia & Reynolds, Martin, 2019. "Contribution of systems thinking and complex adaptive system attributes to sustainable food production: Example from a climate-smart village," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 65-75.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:171:y:2019:i:c:p:65-75
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X17311009
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cabrera, Derek & Colosi, Laura, 2008. "Distinctions, systems, relationships, and perspectives (DSRP): A theory of thinking and of things," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 311-317, August.
    2. Derek Cabrera & Laura Cabrera & Erin Powers, 2015. "A Unifying Theory of Systems Thinking with Psychosocial Applications," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(5), pages 534-545, September.
    3. Reynolds, Martin, 2008. "Response to paper "Systems Thinking" by D. Cabrera et al.: Systems thinking from a critical systems perspective," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 323-325, August.
    4. Irene Monasterolo & Roberto Pasqualino & Anthony C. Janetos & Aled Jones, 2016. "Sustainable and Inclusive Food Systems through the Lenses of a Complex System Thinking Approach—A Bibliometric Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-13, September.
    5. Barry Richmond, 1993. "Systems thinking: Critical thinking skills for the 1990s and beyond," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 9(2), pages 113-133, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jesús J. Cambra‐Fierro & Lourdes Pérez, 2022. "(Re)thinking smart in rural contexts: A multi‐country study," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 868-889, June.
    2. Bielska, Anna & Stańczuk-Gałwiaczek, Małgorzata & Sobolewska-Mikulska, Katarzyna & Mroczkowski, Robert, 2021. "Implementation of the smart village concept based on selected spatial patterns – A case study of Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Poland," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    3. Jagustović, Renata & Papachristos, George & Zougmoré, Robert B. & Kotir, Julius H. & Kessler, Aad & Ouédraogo, Mathieu & Ritsema, Coen J. & Dittmer, Kyle M., 2021. "Better before worse trajectories in food systems? An investigation of synergies and trade-offs through climate-smart agriculture and system dynamics," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    4. Bustamante, María & Rillo, Carlota & Niang, Ibrahima & Baker, Lauren & Vidueira, Pablo, 2024. "Harvesting insights for transformation: Developing and testing a participatory food systems modeling framework in Southern Senegal's poultry system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    5. Zhang, Qichen & Dong, Weihong & Wen, Chuanlei & Li, Tong, 2020. "Study on factors affecting corn yield based on the Cobb-Douglas production function," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cabrera, Derek & Cabrera, Laura & Powers, Erin & Solin, Jeremy & Kushner, Jennifer, 2018. "Applying systems thinking models of organizational design and change in community operational research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 932-945.
    2. Jagustović, Renata & Papachristos, George & Zougmoré, Robert B. & Kotir, Julius H. & Kessler, Aad & Ouédraogo, Mathieu & Ritsema, Coen J. & Dittmer, Kyle M., 2021. "Better before worse trajectories in food systems? An investigation of synergies and trade-offs through climate-smart agriculture and system dynamics," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    3. Luis Arturo Pinzón‐Salcedo & Juanita Bernal‐Alvarado & Eloisa María Ramírez‐Franco & Mario Alejandro Pesca‐Perdomo, 2023. "Do jaguars of the Amazon rainforest have a systemic perspective?," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 3-15, January.
    4. Luis Arturo Pinzon‐Salcedo & María Alejandra Torres‐Cuello, 2022. "Systems thinking concepts within a collaborative programme evaluation methodology: The Hermes Programme evaluation," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 708-722, July.
    5. Khalid Saeed, 2014. "Jay Forrester's operational approach to economics," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 30(4), pages 233-261, October.
    6. Yun Eui Choi & Kihwan Song & Min Kim & Junga Lee, 2017. "Transformation Planning for Resilient Wildlife Habitats in Ecotourism Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-28, March.
    7. Gürsan, C. & de Gooyert, V., 2021. "The systemic impact of a transition fuel: Does natural gas help or hinder the energy transition?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    8. K. Lawler & T. Vlasova & A. Moscardini, 2019. "Using System Dynamics in Macroeconomics," Вестник Киевского национального университета имени Тараса Шевченко. Экономика., Socionet;Киевский национальный университет имени Тараса Шевченко, vol. 3(204), pages 34-40.
    9. Piero Mella & Michela Pellicelli, 2017. "How Myopia Archetypes Lead to Non-Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, December.
    10. Estee Vermeulen-Miltz & Jai Kumar Clifford-Holmes & Amanda Talita Lombard & Bernadette Snow, 2023. "Coastal Tourism Recovery amid COVID-19: Insights from a Participatory System Dynamics Approach," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-16, July.
    11. Bucaro, Anthony C., 2019. "Enhancing auditors' critical thinking in audits of complex estimates," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 35-49.
    12. Brocklesby, John & Midgley, Gerald, 2016. "Boundary games: How teams of OR practitioners explore the boundaries of interventionAuthor-Name: Velez-Castiblanco, Jorge," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 968-982.
    13. Martin Reynolds, 2008. "Reframing expert support for development management," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(6), pages 768-782.
    14. Fernandes, Aline R. & da Silva, Carlos Arthur B., 2017. "Ten Years later: A Comparison of Results of Simulation Scenarios under a Systems Dynamic Approach and the Actual Economic Performance of Small-Scale Agro-industries Supported by Brazilian Agro-industr," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 8(2), March.
    15. Luis Arturo Pinzon‐Salcedo & Juanita Bernal‐Alvarado, 2022. "Dealing with complexity by using multilevel system boundary models," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 175-184, March.
    16. Heidi L. Davidz & Deborah J. Nightingale, 2008. "Enabling systems thinking to accelerate the development of senior systems engineers," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, March.
    17. Elena Claire Ricci & Massimo Peri & Lucia Baldi, 2019. "The Effects of Agricultural Price Instability on Vertical Price Transmission: A Study of the Wheat Chain in Italy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-14, February.
    18. Kwamina Ewur Banson & Daniel Kwasi Asare & Fidelis Doodaa Dery & Kwadwo Boakye & Akudugu Boniface & Moses Asamoah & Lourees Esi Awotwe, 2020. "Impact of Fall Armyworm on Farmer’s Maize: Systemic Approach," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 237-264, April.
    19. Linlin Wang & Rongchang Wang & Haiyan Yan, 2021. "System-Dynamics Modeling for Exploring the Impact of Industrial-Structure Adjustment on the Water Quality of the River Network in the Yangtze Delta Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-20, July.
    20. Crystle J. Kelly & James Rogers & Edward J. Gallaher, 2021. "Insights from system dynamics that support experimental research: an exemplar of the NMDA receptor," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 37(2-3), pages 197-211, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:171:y:2019:i:c:p:65-75. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.