"Tackling World Food System Challenges: Across Disciplines, Sectors, and Scales" 21-26 June 2015, Ascona, Switzerland

Tom Tomich1, Ruthie Musker1,2 & Courtney Riggle1

1) Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI), UC Davis 2) Sustainable Agroecosystems Group (SAE), ETH Zurich

Global food challenges: linking knowledge with action

Good news!

Good news 1: The scientific community has developed integrative assessment methods and is able to forge scientific consensus on some major global challenges. Good news 2: The scientific community is “learning” how to do useful research on multiple, interacting drivers of change.

Many barriers inhibit effective mobilization of knowledge to support sustainable development …

Three, however, are ubiquitous:

1. Mutual incomprehension between scientists and decision makers (farmers or business people or policymakers and others)

2. Fragmentation of the knowledge system

3. Inflexibility in a world of uncertainty and surprise

(adapted from WC Clark, US National Academy of Sciences, 17 May 2012)

Existing knowledge is seldom integrated into systems-supporting decisions.

USE of knowledge for … Enlightenment Decision support Negotiation support

SOU

RC

ES

of k

now

ledg

e Single

community of expertise

Multiple communities of expertise

KEY CRITERIA: Credibility +Usefulness +Legitimacy

Linking Knowledge with Action

Cooperative Extension

Development and Extension Utilization

Experiment Station

Research

Users

Adoption

New information

Seldom: 1 info source 1 user

Growers’ organization

Growers Pest control advisors

SAREP staff scientist UCCE farm advisors

Commodity organization

Almond Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems network

Usefulness: innovation networks

KD Warner, 2007 Agroecology in Action, p. 176

•Pediatricians •Public health •Nutritionists •Health advocates •Health care institutions

•Customers of co-ops, CSAs, farmers markets, supermarkets, etc •Parents •Institutional customers •Consumer organizations and advocacy groups

•Immigration •Animal welfare •Housing •Hunger •Homelessness •Religious/faith •Coalitions and alliances

•Climate change •Land use •Watersheds •Water •Energy •Air quality •Biodiversity •Wildlife •Coalitions and alliances

•Farm bureau •Commodity organizations •Farmers market org.’s •Community food systems •Sustainable agriculture •Educational farms •Urban agriculture •Community gardens •Coalitions and alliances

•Farm workers •Labor advocacy organizations

•Farmers •Specialty crops •Commodity crops •Animals, dairies •Diversified •Ranchers •Fishermen •Foresters

•Certified organic •Mixed organic/ •conventional •Eco-labeling •Conservation practices •IPM •conventional

•Small scale •Medium scale •Large scale

•Wholesale •International trade •Direct marketing

•Family farm •Beginning farmers •Farm workers-turned- farmers

•Ag publications •Journalists •Authors •TV, radio, newspaper •Artists •National •Local, independent

•K-12 •4H, FFA •Colleges, universities •Non traditional •Sustainable agriculture •Student organizations

•Foundations •Individual philanthropists •Corporate donors

•Policy institutes •Landscape architects •City & regional planners •Housing developers •Equipment designers •Native American & tribal government •International development •Other coalitions & alliances

•Ag agencies •Environmental agencies •Natural resources agencies •Health agencies •Transportation •Elected officials and policy makers

•UC faculty and extension specialists •UCCE advisors and county directors •ANR statewide programs •UC institutes and centers •Other UC staff •Other universities •USDA- ARS •Community research institutions •Master gardeners •International & national researchers

•Ag services •Pest control advisers •Veterinarians •Crop consultants •Nurseries, seed, chemical companies •Irrigation advisers •Weather services •Certifiers & auditors

•Distributors •Wholesale •Marketers •Processors •Food service •Retailers •Restaurants

•International trade & finance •Financial & business sector

Others

Government

Donors

Students

Legitimacy ASI strives for a base of diverse

stakeholders in terms of race/ethnicity, gender,

geographic region, urban/rural, socioeconomics, age, etc.

Health sector

Consumers

Community organizations

Environmental organizations

Ag organizations

Farm labor

Producers

Food & Ag industry

Researchers & Extensionists

Media

Educators

Alternative Energy

Where do we start?

We had to start somewhere: Priority Issues for California in 2008

10 issues most often ranked in top 3 out of 29

1. Competition for water

2. Farmland preservation

3. Food systems

4. Climate Change

5. Viability of small- and medium-sized farms

6. Water use efficiency

7. Public understanding

8. Habitat preservation

9. Petroleum dependence

10. Air and water pollution

Can we do better?

Among dozens of issues… How do we know we have the right list?

How can we focus coherently and still be comprehensive?

Sustainable Sourcing of Agricultural Raw Materials

Human Capital - 8 integrated issues (below) - 46 component issues Diseases Human Mortality Labor Literacy Nutritional Status Public Health Reproductive Health Safety

Physical & Financial Capital - 6 integrated issues (below) - 54 component issues Agricultural Sector Energy Finance Income Inputs Physical Infrastructure

44 integrated issues by framework Social & Political Capital - 21 integrated issues (below) - 129 component issues Disasters Educational Resources Food Production Geographical Distribution Governance Human Rights Institutions Markets Participation Population Growth Population Structure Property Rights Poverty Productivity Public Health Social Structure Sociocultural Systems Technology Trade Policies Women & Wages Women’s Participation

Natural Capital - 10 integrated issues (below) - 95 component issues Air & Climate Biodiversity Common Pool Resources Deforestation Ecosystem Services Land & Soil Oceans & Coasts Protected Areas Wastes & Pollution Water

Framework Key: Impact Vulnerability Both Neither

How to choose a manageable set of indicators for all relevant sustainability issues?

? Checklist Generator

Filtering

Analysis

Strategy/Action

Metrics Cloud data discovery Indicator assessment

Scoping

Platform creation – decision process Role of ASI or

backbone organization Role of clients or other

stakeholders

Technical advisors

IT companies

Platforms, Tools

Use cases, Applications

Decision support or negotiation support?

Co–production decision support process Role of ASI or backbone organization

Scoping

Role of clients or other stakeholders

1. Who are key stakeholders?

2. Are stakeholders concerned with impact/mitigation? Or vulnerability/resilience? Both?

3.Are we asking the right questions? What issues matter for this stakeholder? What set of issues will be comprehensive?

Filtering 4. What indicators cover (benchmark) these issues? Are the

indicators useful and practical?

Metrics, Data discovery, Indicator assessment 5. What data/metrics are available to quantify these indicators?

Is credible data available?

Analysis 6. What forms of analysis (feasible, useful)?

7. What are strategies, actions, monitoring and evaluation techniques? Who are best strategic partners for action in a specific case?

Frameworks (e.g. vulnerability/resilience) Qualitative process models, results chains

Semantic Wiki Indicator Typology

Controlled Vocabulary Ontologies Graph Database Checklist Generator

Platforms, Tools

Strategy/Action

Value chain analyses & mapping Land use/spatial analyses Story maps Scenarios Trade-off analyses Visualization

Partner finder

Use cases, Applications

Food companies*

Technical advisors

IT companies

*or policy makers, research communities, producer groups, advocacy groups

Food companies Commodity suppliers & traders Finance & risk management Farmers & ranchers Environmental & social advocates Community organizations Development policy shapers Certifiers

Co–production negotiation support process Role of ASI or

backbone organization

Scoping 1.Who are key stakeholders?

2. Are stakeholders concerned with impact/mitigation? Or

vulnerability/resilience? Both?

3.Are we asking the right questions? What issues matter for these stakeholders? What set of issues will be comprehensive?

Filtering 4. What indicators cover (benchmark) these issues? Are the

indicators useful and practical? Are indicators legitimate (in multi-stakeholder negotiation)?

Metrics, Data discovery, Indicator assessment 5. What data/metrics are available to quantify these indicators?

Is credible data available?

Semantic Wiki Indicator Typology

Controlled Vocabulary Ontologies Graph Database Checklist Generator

Platforms, Tools

Technical advisors

Stakeholder analysis Process convening & facilitation Frameworks (e.g. vulnerability/resilience) Qualitative process models, results chains

Analysis 6. What forms of analysis (feasible, useful)?

7. What are strategies, actions, monitoring and evaluation techniques? Who are best strategic partners for action in a specific case?

Strategy/Action

Value chain analyses & mapping Land use/spatial analyses Story maps Scenarios Trade-off analyses Visualization

Partner finder

Use cases, Applications

IT companies

Role of clients or other stakeholders

Checklist Generator

Checklist Generator Results Comparison

Vulnerability Case 1: From 2064 to 14 indicators

Impact Case 2: From 2064 to 13 indicators

Impact Case 1: From 2064 to 11 indicators

Vulnerability Case 2: From 2064 to 6 indicators