Systems thinking on intensification and sustainability: systems boundaries, processes and dimensions

Uphoff, Norman

doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2014.10.010

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…It is therefore not surprising that the combination of both terms (the noun intensification with the adjective sustainable) is apparently even more confusing (Uphoff 2014). Moreover, the two words "sustainable" and "intensification" in the phrase "sustainable intensification" are often not assigned equal weight (Garnett and Godfray 2012).…”

Section: Sustainable Intensificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sustainable intensification in agriculture: the richer shade of green. A review

Struik¹,

Kuyper²

2017

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

299

200

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Agricultural intensification is required to feed the growing and increasingly demanding human population. Intensification is associated with increasing use of resources, applied as efficiently as possible, i.e. with a concurrent increase in both resource use and resource use efficiency. Resource use efficiency has agronomic, environmental, economic, social, trans-generational, and global dimensions. Current industrial agriculture privileges economic resource use efficiency over the other dimensions, claiming that that pathway is necessary to feed the world. Current agronomy and the concept of sustainable intensification are contested. Sustainable intensification needs to include clarity about principles and practices for priority setting, an all-inclusive and explicit cost-benefit analysis, and subsequent weighing of trade-offs, based on scientifically acceptable, shared norms, thus making agriculture "green" again. Here, we review different forms of intensification, different principles and concepts underlying them, as well as the norms and values that are needed to guide the search for effective forms of sustainable and ecological intensification. We also address innovations in research and education required to create the necessary knowledge base. We argue that sustainable intensification should be considered as a process of enquiry and analysis for navigating and sorting out the issues and concerns in agronomy. Sustainable intensification is about societal negotiation, institutional innovation, justice, and adaptive management. We also make a plea for at least two alternative framings of sustainable intensification: one referring to the need for "de-intensification" in high-input systems to become more sustainable and one referring to the need to increase inputs and thereby yields where there are currently large yield (and often also efficiency) gaps. Society needs an agriculture that demonstrates resilience under future change, an agronomy that can cope with the diversity of trade-offs across different stakeholders, and a sustainability that is perceived as a dynamic process based on agreed values and shared knowledge, insight, and wisdom.

show abstract

Section: Sustainable Intensificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sustainable development is defined as development "that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED 1987). Uphoff (2014), when discussing problems with defining sustainability, referred to different kinds of definitions:…”

Section: Defining Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable intensification in agriculture: the richer shade of green. A review

Struik¹,

Kuyper²

2017

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

299

200

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…В настоящее время системный подход является основополагающим во многих областях знаний (Петров, 2012;Прангишвили, 2003a;Прангишвили, 2003b;Шагиахметов, 2007;Arnold, Wade, 2015;Cabrera, Colosi, Lobdell, 2008;Mingers, 2015;Mingers, White, 2010;Pan, Valerdi, Kang, 2013;Uphoff, 2014). Он преобладает практически во всех отраслях знаний -от биотехнологии до астрофизики.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Systems, their nature and properties

Никоноров¹

2015

Ross. Pred.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Uphoff [153] urges caution in selecting specific practices before considering the notions of sustainability and intensification within a systems thinking perspective, and accounting more explicitly for the inherent inability to predict which practices and production models might actually be sustainable.…”

Section: Seeking Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving Water and Food Security in 2050: Outlook, Policies, and Investments

Wichelns

2015

Agriculture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Food production in 2050 will be sufficient, globally, but many of the poor will remain food insecure. The primary cause of food insecurity will continue to be poverty, rather than inadequate food production. Thus, policies and investments that increase the incomes of the poor will remain the best ways to extend food security to all. Investments that promote growth in sustainable agriculture and provide non-farm employment opportunities in rural areas of lower income countries will be most helpful. There will be sufficient water, globally, to achieve food production goals and sustain rural and urban livelihoods, if we allocate and manage the resource wisely. Yet, water shortages will constrain agricultural production and limit incomes and livelihood opportunities in many areas. Policies and investments are needed to extend and ensure access to water for household use and agricultural production. Challenges requiring the attention of policy makers and investors include increasing urbanization and increasing demands for land and water resources. Policy makers must ensure that farmers retain access to the water they need for producing food and sustaining livelihoods, and they must create greater opportunities for women in agriculture. They must also motivate investments in new technologies that will enhance crop and livestock production, particularly for smallholders, and encourage the private sector to invest in activities that create employment opportunities in rural areas.

show abstract

Systems thinking on intensification and sustainability: systems boundaries, processes and dimensions

Cited by 28 publications

References 23 publications

Sustainable intensification in agriculture: the richer shade of green. A review

Sustainable intensification in agriculture: the richer shade of green. A review

Systems, their nature and properties

Achieving Water and Food Security in 2050: Outlook, Policies, and Investments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About