5 Key Challenges and Solutions for Governing Complex Adaptive (Food) Systems

Abstract

Abstract:There is increasing recognition in academic circles of the importance of adaptive governance for the sustainability of social-ecological systems, but little examination of specific implications for the 34% of land-use where human activities are pervasive but potentially commensurate with functioning ecosystems: agricultural production systems. In this paper, we argue for the need to view food systems and agro-ecosystems as multi-scalar complex adaptive systems and identify five key challenging characteristics of such systems: multi-causality; cumulative impacts; regime shifts; teleconnections and mismatch of scales. These characteristics are necessary features of multi-scalar adaptive systems, and apply equally to social and natural subsystems. We discuss the implications of these characteristics for agricultural production systems and consider how governance can rise to these challenges. We present five case studies that highlight these issues: pollinator declines; payments for ecosystem services; pest control and pesticide resistance; downstream aquatic systems in Tasman Bay, New Zealand; and riparian buffers in Puget Sound, USA. From these case studies we derive recommendations for managing agricultural systems, both specific and general. Ultimately, adaptive governance of agro-ecosystems will likely hinge upon three paradigm shifts: viewing farmers and ranchers not only as food producers but also as land and water managers; seeking not yield maximization but rather resilient management of food ecosystems; and critically, as it transcends the production-system literature, engaging broad audiences not only as consumers but also citizens.

Collaboration, Adaptation, and Scaling: Perspectives on Environmental Governance for Sustainability

“…Echoing the work of Young [34] and Berkes [36], Chapman et al [46] also emphasize the inherent challenges and importance of viewing governance as a multi-scalar, complex adaptive system. As a result, the authors see a need to transform views of agricultural production systems in three ways-holistically as more than simple food production systems, through a lens of resilience rather than optimization, and engaging a broader community of stakeholders beyond a simple producer/consumer relationship.…”

A Governance Perspective for System-of-Systems

“…Table 2 describes these elements as postulated by Sousa-Poza et al [13]. Operating under such conditions requires coordination, control, communication, and integration beyond the capacity of individual systems [70][71][72]. Still, there is a lack of information as to how 'coordination, control, communication, and integration' is accomplished for 'system-of-systems.'…”

Suitability of Complexity Economics for Long-Term Agricultural Policy-Making

“…It is worth stressing that it also concerns agriculture, which is extremely important from the point of view of constantly growing demand for food and decreasing production capacity of the Earth (lack of areas that could be transformed into new utilised agricultural areas, lack of water). This phenomenon has been pointed out in works by Heisey, Wang and Fuglie (2011) and Sheng, Mullen and Zhao (2011).4 With regard to food systems, such statement appears inChapman et al (2017), and in the case of agricultural systems, e.g. inDarnhofer, Bellon, Dedieu and Milestad (2010).…”