TY - JOUR

T1 - What role for social-ecological systems research in governing global teleconnections?

AU - Challies, Ed

AU - Newig, Jens

AU - Lenschow, Andrea

PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - The paper considers the extent to which social-ecological systems research might contribute to an improved understanding of the social and environmental impacts of teleconnections inherent in economic globalisation. Recognising the importance and specificity of regional interconnections, wherein actions in certain parts of the world impact quite specifically on the sustainability of certain other spatially distant places and systems, the paper reflects on the social and environmental implications of increasingly interconnected agri-food systems and intersecting global commodity chains. Key elements of social-ecological systems approaches, which have purported relevance to research on globalisation, are critically examined, and aspects of social-ecological systems thinking that pose challenges for its application in this context are considered. Wider implications and limitations of social-ecological systems approaches to research and practice in (global) governance for sustainability are discussed. The general conclusion is that social-ecological systems research may offer insights into the governance of social and environmental impacts of agri-food systems and other complex systems at certain scales. However, the formal utility of concepts like resilience, vulnerability and adaptability becomes considerably less clear as research turns to analyses of larger, complex, globally teleconnected systems, where the main contribution of such concepts may lie in their metaphorical appeal to important aspects of interconnectivity and interdependence.

AB - The paper considers the extent to which social-ecological systems research might contribute to an improved understanding of the social and environmental impacts of teleconnections inherent in economic globalisation. Recognising the importance and specificity of regional interconnections, wherein actions in certain parts of the world impact quite specifically on the sustainability of certain other spatially distant places and systems, the paper reflects on the social and environmental implications of increasingly interconnected agri-food systems and intersecting global commodity chains. Key elements of social-ecological systems approaches, which have purported relevance to research on globalisation, are critically examined, and aspects of social-ecological systems thinking that pose challenges for its application in this context are considered. Wider implications and limitations of social-ecological systems approaches to research and practice in (global) governance for sustainability are discussed. The general conclusion is that social-ecological systems research may offer insights into the governance of social and environmental impacts of agri-food systems and other complex systems at certain scales. However, the formal utility of concepts like resilience, vulnerability and adaptability becomes considerably less clear as research turns to analyses of larger, complex, globally teleconnected systems, where the main contribution of such concepts may lie in their metaphorical appeal to important aspects of interconnectivity and interdependence.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Agri-food system

KW - Global commodity chains

KW - Governance

KW - Resilience

KW - Social-ecological systems

KW - Teleconnections

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905176927&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.04.015

DO - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.04.015

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 27

SP - 32

EP - 40

JO - Global Environmental Change : Human and Policy Dimensions

JF - Global Environmental Change : Human and Policy Dimensions

SN - 0959-3780

IS - 1

ER -