Aarhus University Seal

How change happens: Exploring factors that influence farmer behaviors to understand agricultural transitions

During her PhD studies, Bonnie Averbuch researched transition processes in agricultural systems. Modern agricultural systems have had unintended negative consequences, and there is pressure to move towards more sustainable agricultural systems. Bonnie Averbuch studied factors that influenced farmers’ behavior and decision-making processes to understand how change happens in agricultural systems.

Photo: Bonnie Averbuch

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of how the agricultural transitions are conceptualized, specifically that transitions are adaptations to existing systems, rather than radical shifts from one system to another, agency can be understood and incorporated into transition frameworks as spectra of possible and meaningful actions, meso-level understandings of agency allows for the incorporation of heterogeneity within and between groups of actors, and multiple development pathways might be happening at one time. These findings suggest moving towards a unified understanding of transition processes.

The PhD study was completed at the Agricultural Systems and Sustainability section at the Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Wednesday, 1 December 2021 at 13.00
Place: Meeting room 2, 8814-3050,  Foulum, Blichers Alle 20 8830 Tjele, Aarhus University, , 
The PhD defence will also be held online. To receive a link to the event, please send an e-mail to Karina Rysholt Christensen; kch@agro.au.dk .
Title of PhD thesis: Agricultural transitions: Exploring farmer agency for a refined understanding of change processes

Contact information: Bonnie Averbuch, e-mail: bonnie.averbuch@agro.au.dk, tel.: +45 21381682

Members of the assessment committee:

Associate Professor Søren Kerndrup, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark

Senior Lecturer, Programme Director Katrin Prager, Department og Geography and Environment, University of Aberdeen, Scotland

Associate Professor Lars Elsgaard (chairman), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark

Main supervisor:
Senior Researcher, Chris Kjeldsen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark

Co-supervisor:
Researcher, Martin Hvarregaard Thorsøe, Deparment of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS,

Katrinebjergvej 89F, building 5132, 8200 Aarhus N.