The agri-food system (re)configuration: the case study of an agroecological network in the Ecuadorian Andes

[EN] Social Ecological System (SES) research highlights the importance of understanding the potential of collective actions, among other factors, when it comes to influencing the transformative (re)configuration of agri-food systems in response to global change. Such a response may result in different desired outcomes for those actors who promote collective action, one such outcome being food sovereignty. In this study, we used an SES framework to describe the configuration of local agri-food systems in Andean Ecuador in order to understand which components of the SES interact, and how they support outcomes linked to five food sovereignty goals. Through a survey administered to mestizo and indigenous peasants, we analyze the key role played by the Agroecological Network of Loja (RAL) in transforming the local agri-food system through the implementation of a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS). This study demonstrates that participation in the RAL and PGS increases farmers' adoption of agroecological practices, as well as their independence from non-traditional food. Additionally, RAL lobbying with the municipality significantly increases households' on-farm income through access to local markets. Being part of indigenous communities also influences the configuration of the food system, increasing the participation in community work and access to credit and markets, thus positively affecting animal numbers, dairy production and income diversification. The complexity of the interactions described suggests that more research is needed to understand which key factors may foster or prevent the achieving of food sovereignty goals and promote household adaptation amid high uncertainty due to global change.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. We thank Narcisa Medina and Rovin Andrade, local leaders of the rural Andean parishes Jimbilla and San Lucas of the Loja canton; and, Nancy Huaca, coordinator of the groecological Network of Loja (RAL); who have shown their aperture for carrying out the research in eight communities of their locality and have shared their experiences and knowledges. This research was part of a PhD study funded by the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT) of Ecuadorian government. The corresponding author has been funded by AXA Research Fund (2016) and Ramón i Cajal fellowship (RYC2018-025958-I) funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, nnovación y Universidades (Spain)Vallejo-Rojas, V.; Rivera-Ferre, MG.; Ravera, F. (2022). The agri-food system (re)configuration: the case study of an agroecological network in the Ecuadorian Andes. Agriculture and Human Values. 39(4):1301-1327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-022-10318-11301132739

Contributions of a feminist perspective to the analysis of farm viability: the livelihoods reproduction framework

[EN] The agrarian question dealing with peasants' reproduction in adverse global conditions is a topic of deep debate closely linked to farm viability. Approaches that define viability in monetary terms cannot explain peasants' way of farming. Holistic approaches can better analyse this question but existing frameworks leave aside aspects of reproduction. Here, we revise sustainable livelihoods and resilience frameworks through a feminist lens and propose livelihoods reproduction to address some blind spots. We do so through a literature review and a case study of olive oil farms in Spain. Our analysis highlights the importance of household labour distribution for farm viability.This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion: [Grant Number CSO2016-78827-R]; the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades): [Grant Number PCI2018-093179]; and ARIMNet2 (ERA-NET no. 618127).Manuel, J.; Rivera-Ferre, MG.; López-I-Gelats, F. (2023). Contributions of a feminist perspective to the analysis of farm viability: the livelihoods reproduction framework. The Journal of Peasant Studies. 51(1):185-211. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2023.221050018521151

Agroecological education for food sovereignty: Insights from formal and non-formal spheres in Brazil and Spain

[EN] In a context of re-definition of what is Agroecology, we reflect on the characteristics of an agroecological education for food sovereignty (AEFS). To do this, we analyse four courses self-claiming to have a food sovereignty focus in the formal and non-formal spheres in Brazil and Spain by answering three questions: "from where" (motivations and actors promoting it), "who" (teachers, students), and "how" (pedagogies). We describe the commonalities and differences among them and show that in developing AEFS, the most important question is the from where. However, important differences may exist between the formal and non-formal spheres, mostly in the who and the how. AEFS in the classroom is based on di ' alogo de saberes, participatory methodologies and dynamics with a rotational focus (alternancia) on learning from the dialectic between theory and practice and reflection and action. Furthermore, the emotional and organizational spaces are as important as the "official" content of the course. We conclude that despite existing barriers to follow some of pedagogical tools in the formal sphere, it is possible to develop AEFS with a focus on transformative education.Authors want to acknowledge anonymous referees for providing useful comments to previous version of this article. Jessica Milgroon is acknowledged for English-editing the article.Rivera-Ferre, MG.; Gallar, D.; Calle-Collado, Á.; Pimentel, V. (2021). Agroecological education for food sovereignty: Insights from formal and non-formal spheres in Brazil and Spain. Journal of Rural Studies. 88:138-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.10.0031381488

The two-way relationship between food systems and the COVID19 pandemic: causes and consequences

[EN] CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most pressing challenges for humanity. The pandemic is affecting all aspects of human lives and livelihoods, including food. In this context, new research shows the nexus between agri-food systems and the spread of emergent infectious diseases (EID) such as the coronavirus disease while at the same time, shows how the COVID-19 pandemics has heavily impacted food systems. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to shed light and draw, through the case of COVID-19, the network of direct and indirect links and feedback loops between the globalised food system and pandemics. METHODS: We conducted a literature review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: As with climate change, food systems have a double relation with EID in general, and in particular with the present world health crisis linked to COVID-19. On the one hand, global agri-food systems, as currently organised, are a necessary step in the development of EID, through their impacts in land use changes, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and climate change. On the other hand, COVID-19 has had and is having impacts on all food systems at all scales. The review shows that all activities of the food system (from production to consumption) as well as all pillars of food security (availability, access, use, stability) have been affected. The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on food systems can be divided between direct impacts of the virus outbreak, and indirect impacts derived from the containment measures (e.g. lockdowns, mobility restrictions, shops closure) adopted at different levels (from local to global). While all food systems across the globe have been affected by the pandemic, it is argued that vulnerability is different for different types of food systems. Long food supply chains have been particularly affected by COVID-19 crisis, however, it is important to avoid universalization of impacts and responses as agri-food systems are characterised by a huge diversity and heterogeneity. The review concludes by pointing out that while the pandemic represents a challenge for the global food systems, this 'stress test' can be also seized as an opportunity to highlight vulnerabilities to be urgently addressed during the recovery period and speed up the transformation towards more sustainable and resilient food systems. SIGNIFICANCE: A food systems approach is essential to have a broader picture of the relationship of agri-food systems with zoonosis and their centrality in the pandemics and the derived socio-economic consequences.Elisa OterosRozas was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (IJCI201734334) . Marina di Masso was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (IJCI-2016-30769) Federica Ravera was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RYC2018025958I) .Rivera-Ferre, MG.; Lopez-I-Gelats, F.; Ravera, F.; Oteros-Rozas, E.; Di Masso, M.; Binimelis, R.; El Bilali, H. (2021). The two-way relationship between food systems and the COVID19 pandemic: causes and consequences. Agricultural Systems. 191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.10313419

Reducing fossil fuel dependency in smallholding farming in l'Horta de València, Spain: A socio-metabolic approach

[EN] To favor transition towards sustainable agricultural systems, the agricultural sector needs to reduce its dependence on external inputs. From an ecological economics perspective, this requires the simultaneous fulfillment of a gross energy surplus on the farm (production condition), and a greater recirculation of the production extracted from the agroecosystem (reproduction condition). Using eight smallholder farms, this study focuses on the processes of recirculation and externalization of biomass, materials and energy flows in the agroecosystem. This is carried out through analyzing the MEFA (Material and Energy Flow Analysis) matrix by means of energy return on the investment indexes of inputs or externalizations (EFEROI), recirculations (IFEROI), joint efficiency (NPPact EROI) and labour efficiency (W EROI), all of which impact upon farm-scale decision-making related to yield and cost-benefit situations. Agrarian fossilization indices are applied to include an assessment of farm non-renewable energy profiles. The results indicate a restriction of inputs in conventional farm-operators and a troubling use of indirect fossil-fuel in organic operators, together with a weakening of the agroecosystem reproductive processes by means of external inputs for both systems. To guide the agrarian transition, farming strategies need to focus on reducing indirect fossil-fuel energy consumption, rather than relying on technological substitutions.Galiana-Carballo, C.; Rivera-Ferre, MG.; Fernández-Méndez, P.; Palau-Salvador, G. (2024). Reducing fossil fuel dependency in smallholding farming in l'Horta de València, Spain: A socio-metabolic approach. Ecological Economics. 217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.10806921

Nature’s contribution to people as a framework for examining socioecological systems: The case of pastoral systems

The Nature’s Contribution to People (NCP) framework builds on the Ecosystem Services (ES) concept and aims to incorporate social sciences more inclusively into economic and ecological aspects of ES. Given the emphasis of NCP around social issues, it is our hypothesis that NCP framework is well positioned to analyse complex socio-ecological systems (SES) where human-nature interactions are heavily linked, such as pastoral systems. In this article, a qualitative comparative analysis was conducted to explore trends throughout the literature on pastoral systems and the viability of the NCP framework to analyse pastoral systems as a SES with strong human-nature interactions. We found that the NCP framework allows for an intuitive translation from ES. Our results show that the NCP Habitat creation and maintenance, Food and feed, and Supporting identities are the most connected to pastoral systems in the scientific literature. Given the emphasis of the NCP framework on non-material aspects of human-nature systems and the ease with which it can be applied to the literature, we suggest that the NCP framework can be complementary to the ES framework to allow for a more complete analysis of SES with strong human-nature connections.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The participatory construction of new economic models in short food supply chains

International audienceWhile a number of works question the alterity of alternative food chains, little has been said about the social processes under which new economic models are, or may be, developed within the broader movement around ‘short food supply chains’ (SFCs) in Europe. Considering SFCs as economic organisations, we propose an analytical framework based on New Economic Sociology and Convention Theory, enriched by Social and Solidarity Economics, to capture the social construction of new economic models in such chains. We apply this framework to two case studies: an open-air market promoting short food supply chains in France, and a partnership between an agricultural cooperative and several solidarity purchase groups (GAS) in Italy. Analysing the trajectories of the two initiatives, we highlight the processes through which new economic models are jointly built via interactions between different actors. Our results open two lines of discussion: one concerning the ‘new economic models' that emerge from the two cases, a second regarding the actors' participation in elaborating and enacting these new models

Climate Change and Food Systems

Climate change affects the functioning of all of the components of food systems, often in ways that exacerbate existing predicaments and inequalities among regions of the world and groups in society. At the same time, food systems are a major cause of climate change, accounting for a third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, food systems can and should play a much bigger role in climate policies. This chapter highlights nine action points for climate change adaptation and mitigation in food systems. The chapter shows that numerous practices, technologies, knowledge and social capital already exist for climate action in food systems, with multiple synergies with other important goals, such as the conservation of biodiversity, the safeguarding of ecosystem services, sustainable land management and reducing social and gender inequalities. Many of these solutions are presently being applied at local scales around the world, even if not at sufficient levels. Hence, the major effort to unleash their potential would involve overcoming various technical, political-economic and structural barriers for their much wider application. Some other solutions require research and development investments now, but will focus on helping us meet the longer-term challenges of climate change in regard to food systems in the second half of this century, when most existing food production practices will face unprecedented challenges. In the short term, these pro-poor policy changes and support systems can have a range of positive effects well beyond food systems without delay. In the long term, investments in research will help ensure food security and ecosystem integrity for coming generations

Interplays between changing biophysical and social dynamics under climate change: Implications for limits to sustainable adaptation in food systems

[EN] Climate change scenarios have significant implications for the livelihoods and food security of particular groups in society and will necessitate a range of adaptation actions. While there is a significant literature on the social as well as biophysical factors and limits to adaptation, less is known about the interactions between these, and what such interactions mean for the prospects of achieving sustainable and resilient food systems. This paper is an attempt at addressing this gap by examining changing biophysical and social factors, with specific consideration of vulnerable groups, across four case studies (Ghana, Malawi, Norway and Spain). In each case, future climate change scenarios and associated biophysical limits are mapped onto four key social factors that drive vulnerability and mediate adaptation, namely, scale, history, power and politics, and social differentiation. We then consider what the interaction between biophysical limits and socio-political dynamics means for the options for and limits to future adaptation, and how climate may interact with, and reshape, socio-political elements. We find that biophysical limits and socio-political factors do not operate in isolation, but interact, with dynamic relationships determining the 'space' or set of options for sustainable adaptation. By connecting the perspectives of biophysical and social factors, the study illuminates the risks of unanticipated outcomes that result from the disregard of local contexts in the implementation of adaptation measures. We conclude that a framework focusing on the space for sustainable adaptation conditioned by biophysical and social factors, and their interactions, can help provide evidence on what does and does not constitute sustainable adaptation, and help to counter unhelpful narratives of climate change as a sole or dominant cause of challenges in food systems.Kerr, RB.; Naess, LO.; Allen-O'neil, B.; Totin, E.; Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H.; Risvoll, C.; Rivera-Ferre, MG.... (2022). Interplays between changing biophysical and social dynamics under climate change: Implications for limits to sustainable adaptation in food systems. Global Change Biology. 28(11):3580-3604. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.1612435803604281