TY - JOUR
T1 - The use of living labs to advance agro-ecological theory in the transition towards sustainable land use
T2 - A tale of two polders
AU - Marselis, Suzanne M.
AU - Hannula, S. Emilia
AU - Trimbos, Krijn B.
AU - Berg, Matty P.
AU - Bodelier, Paul L.E.
AU - Declerck, Steven A.J.
AU - Erisman, Jan Willem
AU - Kuramae, Eiko E.
AU - Nanu, Andreea
AU - Veen, G. F. (Ciska)
AU - van 't Zelfde, Maarten
AU - Schrama, Maarten
N1 - Data archiving: available on request
PY - 2024/9
Y1 - 2024/9
N2 - Agricultural ecosystems worldwide are on life support. A key challenge is the translation of global sustainability goals to local contexts, particularly those related to sustainable land use, climate and biodiversity at the landscape scale. Living labs, place-based, focal areas as pilots of change, have the potential to be instrumental in driving the development of local solutions. When used to their full potential, they can both enable the advancement of agro-ecological theory and aid the transition to sustainable agricultural land use. In this viewpoint paper we present two conceptual advancements culminating in their high potential: (1) a methodological approach with replicated modes of transition and reference sites, while proposed agricultural modes are co-created through stakeholder encounters, (2) a framework that enables long-term monitoring of the relation between ecosystem functioning (expressed as leakiness) and biodiversity (expressed as ecological interaction networks), taking into account the full scale of ecological interactions within the agro-ecosystem. We illustrate how these conceptual advances can be implemented in a living lab in the Netherlands. Here, we discuss how these advances can generate impact and accelerate the transition to planetary-scale sustainability in agricultural ecosystems.
AB - Agricultural ecosystems worldwide are on life support. A key challenge is the translation of global sustainability goals to local contexts, particularly those related to sustainable land use, climate and biodiversity at the landscape scale. Living labs, place-based, focal areas as pilots of change, have the potential to be instrumental in driving the development of local solutions. When used to their full potential, they can both enable the advancement of agro-ecological theory and aid the transition to sustainable agricultural land use. In this viewpoint paper we present two conceptual advancements culminating in their high potential: (1) a methodological approach with replicated modes of transition and reference sites, while proposed agricultural modes are co-created through stakeholder encounters, (2) a framework that enables long-term monitoring of the relation between ecosystem functioning (expressed as leakiness) and biodiversity (expressed as ecological interaction networks), taking into account the full scale of ecological interactions within the agro-ecosystem. We illustrate how these conceptual advances can be implemented in a living lab in the Netherlands. Here, we discuss how these advances can generate impact and accelerate the transition to planetary-scale sustainability in agricultural ecosystems.
U2 - 10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107588
DO - 10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107588
M3 - Article
SN - 0195-9255
VL - 108
JO - Environmental Impact Assessment Review
JF - Environmental Impact Assessment Review
M1 - 107588
ER -