Reconciling food security and biodiversity conservation: participatory scenario planning in southwestern Ethiopia

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Standard

Reconciling food security and biodiversity conservation: participatory scenario planning in southwestern Ethiopia. / Jiren, Tolera S.; Hanspach, Jan; Schultner, Jannik et al.
In: Ecology and Society, Vol. 25, No. 3, 24, 09.2020, p. 1-16.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Bibtex

@article{8bf3103c455b4123a6b377d6dcca8da9,
title = "Reconciling food security and biodiversity conservation: participatory scenario planning in southwestern Ethiopia",
abstract = "Social-ecological systems are complex and involve uncertainties emerging from interactions between biophysical and social system components. In the face of growing complexity and uncertainty, stakeholder engagement with the future is important to proactively manoeuvre toward desirable outcomes. Focusing on the interrelated challenges of food security and biodiversity conservation, we conducted a participatory scenario planning exercise in a rural landscape in southwestern Ethiopia. We involved 35 stakeholder organizations in multiple workshops to construct causal loop diagrams, elicit critical uncertainties, and draft scenario narratives. Jointly, we developed four plausible future scenarios for the studied landscape: (1) gain over grain: local cash crops; (2) mining green gold: coffee investors; (3) coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve; and (4) food first: intensive farming and forest protection. These scenarios differ with respect to their main social-economic dynamics as well as their food security and biodiversity outcomes. Importantly, three of the four scenarios, i.e., all except {"}coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve,{"} focused on increasing efficiency in agricultural production through intensification, specialization, and market integration. In contrast, {"}coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve{"} was driven by agroecological production methods that support diversified livelihoods, a multifunctional landscape, maintenance of natural capital, a governance system that supports local people, and social-ecological resilience. Similar agroecological trajectories have been advocated as desirable for sustainable development in numerous other smallholder farming systems worldwide. Given fewer trade-offs and better equity outcomes, it appears that an agroecological development pathway stands a good chance of generating synergies between food security and biodiversity conservation. Pathways prioritizing agricultural efficiency, in contrast, are more likely to degrade natural capital and cause social inequity.",
keywords = "Environmental planning, agroecology, drivers of change, future scenarios, rural landscapes, intensification, Ecosystems Research, social-ecological system, stakeholder participation",
author = "Jiren, {Tolera S.} and Jan Hanspach and Jannik Schultner and Joern Fischer and Arvid Bergsten and Feyera Senbeta and Kristoffer Hylander and Ine Dorresteijn",
note = "The study was funded through a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council (ERC) to Joern Fischer. We thank alllocal stakeholders who were involved in the scenario planningworkshops at different stages. Special thanks go to Dadi FeyisaDamu and Birhanu Bekele Negash for facilitating group meetingsin the study area. We would also like to thank our colleagues GirmaShumi Dugo, Patr{\'i}cia Rodrigues, Aisa Manlosa, Abebe Tufa, andLennard Thale-Bombien for their valuable insights and support. Wethank the Governments of Ethiopia and Oromia for granting us therelevant permits.",
year = "2020",
month = sep,
doi = "10.5751/ES-11681-250324",
language = "English",
volume = "25",
pages = "1--16",
journal = "Ecology and Society",
issn = "1708-3087",
publisher = "The Resilience Alliance",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reconciling food security and biodiversity conservation

T2 - participatory scenario planning in southwestern Ethiopia

AU - Jiren, Tolera S.

AU - Hanspach, Jan

AU - Schultner, Jannik

AU - Fischer, Joern

AU - Bergsten, Arvid

AU - Senbeta, Feyera

AU - Hylander, Kristoffer

AU - Dorresteijn, Ine

N1 - The study was funded through a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council (ERC) to Joern Fischer. We thank alllocal stakeholders who were involved in the scenario planningworkshops at different stages. Special thanks go to Dadi FeyisaDamu and Birhanu Bekele Negash for facilitating group meetingsin the study area. We would also like to thank our colleagues GirmaShumi Dugo, Patrícia Rodrigues, Aisa Manlosa, Abebe Tufa, andLennard Thale-Bombien for their valuable insights and support. Wethank the Governments of Ethiopia and Oromia for granting us therelevant permits.

PY - 2020/9

Y1 - 2020/9

N2 - Social-ecological systems are complex and involve uncertainties emerging from interactions between biophysical and social system components. In the face of growing complexity and uncertainty, stakeholder engagement with the future is important to proactively manoeuvre toward desirable outcomes. Focusing on the interrelated challenges of food security and biodiversity conservation, we conducted a participatory scenario planning exercise in a rural landscape in southwestern Ethiopia. We involved 35 stakeholder organizations in multiple workshops to construct causal loop diagrams, elicit critical uncertainties, and draft scenario narratives. Jointly, we developed four plausible future scenarios for the studied landscape: (1) gain over grain: local cash crops; (2) mining green gold: coffee investors; (3) coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve; and (4) food first: intensive farming and forest protection. These scenarios differ with respect to their main social-economic dynamics as well as their food security and biodiversity outcomes. Importantly, three of the four scenarios, i.e., all except "coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve," focused on increasing efficiency in agricultural production through intensification, specialization, and market integration. In contrast, "coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve" was driven by agroecological production methods that support diversified livelihoods, a multifunctional landscape, maintenance of natural capital, a governance system that supports local people, and social-ecological resilience. Similar agroecological trajectories have been advocated as desirable for sustainable development in numerous other smallholder farming systems worldwide. Given fewer trade-offs and better equity outcomes, it appears that an agroecological development pathway stands a good chance of generating synergies between food security and biodiversity conservation. Pathways prioritizing agricultural efficiency, in contrast, are more likely to degrade natural capital and cause social inequity.

AB - Social-ecological systems are complex and involve uncertainties emerging from interactions between biophysical and social system components. In the face of growing complexity and uncertainty, stakeholder engagement with the future is important to proactively manoeuvre toward desirable outcomes. Focusing on the interrelated challenges of food security and biodiversity conservation, we conducted a participatory scenario planning exercise in a rural landscape in southwestern Ethiopia. We involved 35 stakeholder organizations in multiple workshops to construct causal loop diagrams, elicit critical uncertainties, and draft scenario narratives. Jointly, we developed four plausible future scenarios for the studied landscape: (1) gain over grain: local cash crops; (2) mining green gold: coffee investors; (3) coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve; and (4) food first: intensive farming and forest protection. These scenarios differ with respect to their main social-economic dynamics as well as their food security and biodiversity outcomes. Importantly, three of the four scenarios, i.e., all except "coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve," focused on increasing efficiency in agricultural production through intensification, specialization, and market integration. In contrast, "coffee and conservation: a biosphere reserve" was driven by agroecological production methods that support diversified livelihoods, a multifunctional landscape, maintenance of natural capital, a governance system that supports local people, and social-ecological resilience. Similar agroecological trajectories have been advocated as desirable for sustainable development in numerous other smallholder farming systems worldwide. Given fewer trade-offs and better equity outcomes, it appears that an agroecological development pathway stands a good chance of generating synergies between food security and biodiversity conservation. Pathways prioritizing agricultural efficiency, in contrast, are more likely to degrade natural capital and cause social inequity.

KW - Environmental planning

KW - agroecology

KW - drivers of change

KW - future scenarios

KW - rural landscapes

KW - intensification

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - social-ecological system

KW - stakeholder participation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098583074&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/96818127-6843-3410-83b5-9eaf0534d192/

U2 - 10.5751/ES-11681-250324

DO - 10.5751/ES-11681-250324

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 25

SP - 1

EP - 16

JO - Ecology and Society

JF - Ecology and Society

SN - 1708-3087

IS - 3

M1 - 24

ER -

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Projects

  1. MINT Förderung

Publications

  1. Peopling Europe through Data Practices
  2. Think globally, measure locally
  3. Zum Lachen in den Keller
  4. Value-sensitive Action Design Research
  5. Selbstbestimmung und Classroom-Management
  6. The structure of contributing factors of human error in safety-critical industries
  7. CollaborativeInformationSystemszurSelbstorganisationvonad-hoc-Helfern
  8. Existential theology
  9. From negative to positive sustainability performance measurement and assessment? A qualitative inquiry drawing on framing effects theory
  10. Interest group representation in the Bundestag
  11. Marginal Calluna populations are more resistant to climate change, but not under high-nitrogen loads
  12. Mapping relative risk for biodiversity from the application of pesticides, focusing on pollinators
  13. A Universal Digital Stress Management Intervention for Employees
  14. Absenteeism as a Reaction to Harmful Behavior in the Workplace from a Stress Theory Point of View
  15. Corrosion in heating and cooling water circuits - A field study
  16. Reduction of Atmospheric Transboundary Fluxes of Heavy Metals in Europe
  17. Agile Portfolio Management
  18. KI-Kanban-Behälter
  19. A cultural theory of regimes
  20. Defined mechanochemical reductive dechlorination of 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene at room temperature in a ball mill
  21. Mathematics teachers’ domain-specific professional knowledge: conceptualization and test construction in COACTIV
  22. Towards the design of active pharmaceutical ingredients mineralizing readily in the environment
  23. Evidence for regional-scale declines in carabid beetles in old lowland beech forests following a period of severe drought
  24. A sticky affair
  25. Versuch einer Phänomenologie des Buchstabens
  26. Die Rentenreform in der Diskussion
  27. Explaining renewable energy consumption among students
  28. Unübertragbarer Nonsense ?
  29. Covid Arts - The Show Must Go On(line) - Music in Quarantine
  30. Zwischen Selbstvermarktung und Subversion. Das Web 2.0 und seine Subjekte
  31. The Challenge of Long-Term Climate Change
  32. Effects of cooperative games on enjoyment in physical education - How to increase positive experiences in students?
  33. Alex Adriaansens