Empowering Communities: Food Donation NGO Making a Difference
Siides eaae keynote food systems
1. Sustainable food systems:
do agricultural economists have a role?
Louise O. Fresco, Floor Geerling-Eiff, Anne-Charlotte Hoes,
Lan van Wassenaer, Krijn J. Poppe, Jack G.A.J. van der Vorst
The paper is available in the ERAE:
https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbab026
kjpoppe@hccnet.nl www.wur.nl
3. Food Systems versus a Quasi-discipline
An archipelago of (sub) disciplines to
tackle issues in food systems and their
trade-offs
Grand challenges in food systems
require multidisciplinary approaches
Food System research = frontier
research
For academic and social impacts
Standard methods will survive, how
about agricultural economists?
Economists are well placed, but
challenging
Sociology of science: we are a quasi-
discipline
Food systems Quasi-discipline
4. Eur Rev Agric Econ, jbab026, https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbab026
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Types of research, classified to relevance for advancement of knowledge
and of immediate application, with some examples. Adapted from Stokes, (2011)
5. Challenges in multidisciplinary approaches
Interest in models that integrate biophysical and
economic components of agri-environmental
systems has increased - but projects are often not
really interdisciplinary.
4 barriers:
● Differences in methodology and vocabulary
● Resistance from the institutional
environment
● Disciplinary chauvinism
● Perceived parasitism
6. Solutions
We notice a shift from traditional forms
of collaborating in projects towards
opening the silos by accepting networks
of different, multiple actors co-creating
and defining interdisciplinary language
and communication
4 solutions
● Experienced facilitators such as
innovation brokers
● Classify complexity (e.g. STRAP)
● Use systems theory models
● AKIS as a systemic approach, but
not yet fit for purpose
9. Raising the impact of Food Systems economists
Design of institutions and governance of
the food system (desirable futures)
● New institutional economics
● Legislative framework on sustainable
food system (Farm to Fork)
Big data economics, the data and
platform economy:
● Deluge of data in precision farming
● Sustainability data (FADN >> FSDN)
● True costs of activities and products
● Data food environment, lifestyle and
health (FNH-RI)
● Business modelling in data economy
Digital Twin
10. Conclusions
Economists do not play such a big role in policy as
in the 1950s and 1960s
Standard Ag. Econ. techniques will survive
Grand challenges: rethink to remain relevant
Grand challenges require a food systems approach
This asks for a better collaboration with other
(quasi-)disciplines and stakeholder engagement
Multidisciplinary approach does not come
automatically: barriers and partial solutions
Revolutionary development of ICT helps
NIE is an attractive framework, also for designing
‘We are not students of some subject matter, but students of problems. And problems
may cut right across the borders of any subject matter or discipline.’ Karl Popper - 1963