Systems Thinking and Practice in Agriculture

Bawden, Richard J

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(91)78410-5

Cited by 113 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…As Bawden (1991b) pointed out, what we do is determined by the way we see such a complex issue as sustainable production, and what sample of issues or events we choose to deal with. Hence, seeing and considering animal breeding in view of its impact on genetic diversity, environment, and society is a prerequisite for being able to find and carry out significant actions toward animal breeding for sustainable production systems.…”

Section: General Discussion and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The methods of learning and science that were used in the phases of pioneering, production, and productivity have proved to be inadequate to handle the complexity and change associated with contemporary agriculture (Bawden, 1991b). We need other, new ways of learning and dealing with problems in addition to those forms that helped us in the past to be able to develop sustainable production systems with, for example, appropriate animal breeding programs and breeding goals.…”

Section: General Philosophymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We need other, new ways of learning and dealing with problems in addition to those forms that helped us in the past to be able to develop sustainable production systems with, for example, appropriate animal breeding programs and breeding goals. Bawden (1989Bawden ( , 1991b argued that there will not be much change in the situation until all the stakeholders are prepared to adopt perspectives on agriculture and nature different from those that currently prevail. Sriskandarajah and Bawden (1994) proposed a model of perspectives, worldviews, that is based on the ideas promoted by Bateson (1972), Checkland (1981, Cotgrove (1982), and Bawden (1989).…”

Section: General Philosophymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Definition of animal breeding goals for sustainable production systems.

Olesen

Groen

Gjerde

2000

Journal of Animal Science

141

133

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT:What we do is determined by the way we "view" a complex issue and what sample of issues or events we choose to deal with. In this paper, a model based on a communal, cultural, or people-centered worldview, informed by a subjective epistemology and a holistic ontology, is considered. Definitions and interpretations of sustainable agriculture are reviewed. Common elements in published definitions of sustainable agriculture and animal production among those who seek long-term and equitable solutions for food production are resource efficiency, profitability, productivity, environmental soundness, biodiversity, social viability, and ethical aspects. Possible characteristics of future sustainable production systems and further development are presented. The impact of these characteristics on animal breeding goals is reviewed. The need for long-term biologically, ecologically, and sociologi-

show abstract

Section: General Discussion and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Philosophymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Philosophymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Definition of animal breeding goals for sustainable production systems.

Olesen

Groen

Gjerde

2000

Journal of Animal Science

141

133

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Such changes in yield, prices and farming methods, within and between countries, constitute temporal and spatial evolution of farming systems. Also, they are triumphs (of sorts) for the mainly reductionist philosophies behind research, which focused on single commodities such as milk and grain [12,13]. Due to low agricultural productivity, the small and marginal farmers as well as about 15 to 18% landless families living in the rural areas are unable to generate remunerative employment and about 40% families are forced to live in poverty.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Farming Systems - A Review

Soni¹,

Katoch²,

Ladohia³

2014

IOSRJAVS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…One of the early insights at Hawkesbury (cf Bawden et al, 1984) was the reconceptualization of Kolb's 'experiential learning cycle' as a 'learning system' which was further enriched with its later interpretation as an embedded 'system of systems' (Bawden, 1991) as inspired by the three level model of cognitive processing developed by Kitchener (1983) and especially her reference to epistemic cognition. The elegant and persuasive work of Salner (1986) then prompted the further crucial ideas of the epistemic development of learning systems, of the relationships between epistemic development and the development of systemic competencies, and the role of experiential stimuli in promoting both.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systemic development at Hawkesbury: some personal lessons from experience

Bawden

2005

Syst. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

One of the most significant and enduring ideas associated with the systems initiatives at Hawkesbury has been the inter-connections that were made there between systemic acts of development in the 'concrete world' and the abstract 'epistemic developments' of the actors who participate in them. Each is seen to be constitutive of the other in a profoundly systemic manner, with 'concrete events' being both influenced by and an influence on 'abstract ideas'. The embrace of critical experiential strategies, which themselves are regarded as essentially systemic and reflexive in nature, has been a central feature of the pedagogies, research processes, and engagement strategies that have been designed to better facilitate this inter-connection. As calls for more sustainable and equitable forms of development gather momentum across the globe, and the citizenry become increasingly engaged with issues that are seen to pose significant systemic global risks, the need for collective, communicative experiential strategies as systemic discourse, Somewhat taken aback by such a seemingly reductionistic inquiry at a Systems Conference -for never before had I been asked to either prioritize or personalize my learning -I replied that I would give the matter some thought and get back to him! It would not be an easy task: The whole Hawkesbury experience had, after all, been one long learning journey characterized by a sustained appreciation of the ever-changing braid of ideas and events as our history had unfolded over a quarter of a century -to borrow from the evocative metaphor of Vickers (1983). Furthermore, one of the many extraordinary features of the Hawkesbury systemic initiatives has been their emergent nature through collective endeavours and the continual sharing of new experiences and 3 developing scholarship, and thus it has always been extremely difficult to separate the 'I' from the 'we'. And then finally there was the matter of my own changed circumstancesnot just in institutions and indeed nations as well, but in the whole focus of my attention:At Hawkesbury I had been concerned primarily with the systemic development of one Faculty in the context of its changing role within the systemic development of rural Australia, whereas in my present position I focus essentially on the role of an American Land Grant University in 'international development' within a context of 'sustainability'. Not one to shrink from a challenge however, or to explore a familiar scene from an unfamiliar perspective, I have been giving the question some very considerable thought.What follows here then is a piece in which I try to collect those thoughts into a coherent narrative. It is not the paper that I had originally prepared for Crete -for that was still written within the genre of a third-party historical commentary about Hawkesbury. In contrast, this is a personal narrative that reflects what I think were the most valuable lessons for me from our systems initiatives. The story is essentially the identification and subsequent explor...

show abstract

Systems Thinking and Practice in Agriculture

Cited by 113 publications

References 13 publications

Definition of animal breeding goals for sustainable production systems.

Definition of animal breeding goals for sustainable production systems.

Integrated Farming Systems - A Review

Systemic development at Hawkesbury: some personal lessons from experience

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About