This document presents integrated modeling methods for assessing the response of agricultural systems to scenarios combining innovation and policy. The approach considers the farm system as a key level with its interactions with dow-level (the fields) and up -levels (the landcape and markets). Farm diversity in the landscape is modelled with typologies. Farm and field behaviours and performances are simulated respectivelly with farm models and crop models and a set of indicators. The document also stress the importance of participatory modeling, involving local stakeholders in the design of scenarios and selection of assessment indicators. Finally, concrete case studies illustrate how these methodological frameworks help predict the adoption of new practices and the impact of policies while measuring socio-economic and environmental trade-offs.
This course was given during 10 years (2008 to 2018) to Master Students at l'institut Agro Montpellier. I will be happy to collaborate with colleagues who want to develop similar course (in english or french).
Three hours lecture
Link to the video: https://youtu.be/DYRj52-cp44
CoProdScope is a digital tool designed for agricultural advisors that aims to help agropastoralists in the savannah areas of sub-Saharan Africa to enhance the value of their crop (straw, haulm, stalks) and livestock (solid manure) by-products. It is an assessment and advisory tool for the management of by-products in order to optimize resource use and promote agroecological intensification of agropastoral farms.
The first teaching experiment is underway in Northern Cameroon; news about this experiment will be available soon.
This work applies system science principles through the use of stakeholder-based Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM). It allows for a holistic understanding of how social, economic, and environmental variables interact, enabling the exploration of dynamic feedbacks and potential unintended consequences. In this context, FCM served as a valuable tool to simulate alternative policy and behavioural scenarios, identify leverage points, and support more informed decision-making for sustainable water reuse in agriculture.
The paper has been used to teach ‘Agrarian Bioeconomy’, a second-year subject of the bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences and Bioeconomy at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Specifically, it was included in Topic 2: Analysis of Bioeconomic Systems, where was introduced the concept of systems and the analysis of systemic relationships. The Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) application presented in the article was used as a practical example. Students were asked to read and critically comment on the paper.
Two class sessions
Ce memento est destiné aux étudiants en Sciences Agronomiques pour leur permettre d’acquérir et d’utiliser les concepts de base nécessaires à la compréhension des enseignements (cours, TD, rapports) d’Agronomie Systémique (AS).
Comme toute discipline scientifique l’AS peut se définir par ses concepts, ses méthodes et outils et les différentes postures avec lesquelles on les met en œuvre sur des objets et à des échelles spécifiques. Le document est organisé autour de ces différentes facettes de la discipline. La démarche systémique utilisée est basée sur l’analyse des relations structure-fonctions-flux dans les systèmes complexes dynamiques décrite dans un autre document d’enseignement (Wery, 2017 ; Démarche de conceptualisation d’un problème en système en Agriculture).
Les concepts et méthodes présentés peuvent s’appliquer à toutes les formes d’agriculture (intensive en intrants de synthèse, intensive en travail, agroécologique, biologique, de conservation, agroforesterie…), dans tous les secteurs de production (grandes cultures, maraichage, arboriculture, viticulture, fourrages…) et dans toutes les régions (tempérée, méditerranéenne, tropicale…).
Les mots entre guillemets sont la traduction anglaise des termes.
The handbook was used as a pre-reading or post-reading documents in various courses ranging from a 3h introductory course to agricultural systems for BSc students to a 6 month course on agricultural science for Masters students specializing in agriculture.
Manual to develop farm household typologies using R based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Clustering (HC)