WP1 – Scoping and Framing of pathways towards SFS. Deliverable 1.1 Conceptual Framework

Summary in the original language of the document

The ENFASYS conceptual framework is an important guide for conducting the research in the project, by introducing important concepts of the research topic under investigation, by defining how these concepts are related, and by shaping interactions between different teams and work packages within the project. The conceptual framework provides a coherent work that supports the combined consideration of (1) systems thinking on lock-ins and levers in farming and food systems that prevent transitions to more SFS; (2) behavioural factors affecting farmers- adoption of more SFS; (3) public interventions such as policies in the CAP, and agricultural and environmental policies in the member states and; (4) private interventions such as business strategies and social innovations – to move farmers to more SFS.
Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. is a graphical representation of the ENFASYS conceptual framework. The first elements are the behavioural factors and systemic factors that have been identified as key elements enabling or hindering change toward sustainable farming systems (SFS). Behavioural factors refer to elements that relate to the capacity and motivations of individuals, such as farmers, buyers, citizens, investors to make decisions. It encompasses the whole range of factors that are to be considered in order to understand these decisions. Systemic factors are those constraining and motivating effects on individuals’ actions of social dynamics of the systems or social structures in which actors are positioned. These systems consist out of social relationships between different actors, that constrain, enable and motivate actors depending on their position in various ways.
Figure 1: ENFASYS conceptual framework
We identified the multilevel perspective (MLP) on sustainability transitions as a powerful heuristic that provides key concepts potentially enabling to link behavioural and systemic perspectives in a single narrative for the project. At its core, the MLP describes the transition towards sustainability of different socio-technical systems by conceptualising them as a regime change induced by the scaling up of radical niche innovations. The MLP itself is a systemic perspective which does not explicitly address behavioural factors, but it does have the ability to pay attention to micro-level agency at the niche level, while still considering meso-level and macro-level dynamics and interactions between these multiple levels. On this basis, we’ve formed the hypothesis that the MLP can provide the broader framework to link the behavioural and systemic factors in the transition towards SFS.
ENFASYS aims at creating knowledge relevant to enable the transition towards SFS. The concept of three types of knowledge distinguishes the knowledge needed to generate change through a research project. First system knowledge refers to knowledge about “what is”, that is the current situation about an issue. Target knowledge, defines how the system should look like in order to be sustainable. And finally, transformation knowledge focuses on how to get from the current to the desired situation. The three types of knowledge are all needed to understand public and private interventions which have already happened in farming systems, as well as to inform the design interventions design within ENFASYS to enable behavioural or systemic change. The interventions are the pivotal point between knowledge production within ENFASYS and its real-world impact.
The interdisciplinary nature of the ENFASYS project as well as the aim to bring together research traditions that share very different assumptions reinforces the need to develop a common language to enable collaboration, but also comparison and generalization across the different teams and work packages of the project. To do so, the concepts used in the CF need to be clearly defined, yet broad enough so that partners from different background can understand, but also make use of them. Therefore, we developed a glossary defining the main concepts, but also other related terms and concepts, to enable a common understanding.