Agricultural Systems and Sustainability

Introduction to section

The aim of this section is to generate and disseminate knowledge on how farming and food systems can develop in more sustainable directions, addressing both local and global impacts as well as land use.

Key research areas include how agronomic-biological factors can be appropriately planned and managed within production and land use systems, how the organisation of food and agricultural production shapes decision-making and pathways for change, and how innovation and co-creation with stakeholders together with regulation, incentives and institutional frameworks can support sustainable land and resource management and achieving objectives for food systems transformation.

The section also develops and applies indicators and analytical tools for practical decision support at farm, landscape, industry and system levels, focusing on production and economic outcomes and impacts on nature, climate, and the environment, with particular attention to organic systems, and the integration of crop- and livestock systems.

Through basic and applied research, we advance our knowledge on

Development and transformation of farming and food systems, focusing on how production systems, land use and value-chain structures influence environmental, climate, nature and economic outcomes across scales.
Interactions between production, nature and climate, analysing how agronomic choices, nutrient cycles and land-use priorities can support multiple societal objectives simultaneously.
Systemic effects of regulation, incentives and institutional frameworks, including policy, markets and governance shape farming practices and decision-making spaces.
Indicators and decision-support tools for sustainability, including the development and application of indicators to assess environmental, climate and resource impacts in practice on farm, landscape and product levels.
Integration of crop and livestock systems, with emphasis on circular solutions, nutrient utilisation and links between primary production and processing.
Land use and landscape-level dynamics, examining how local interventions interact with regional and national goals for environment, climate and food production.
Understanding of agri-food systems and how interactions between primary production, processing, recycling, the food environment and diets supported by policies may enable or block transformation

We conduct

System analysis based on existing data sources, supplemented with empirical research, including interviews and qualitative analyses.
Conducting case studies and system development at multiple scales, including farm-, landscape-, food system and national level, incorporating international contexts and relationships.
Advising and supporting public authorities and private companies on analyses, scenario development, and evidence based for regulation, planning and implementation.
Dissemination and communication of knowledge on agricultural systems and sustainability targeted at decision-makers, advisory services, industry stakeholders, and the public.