Rapid testing of systems thinking facilitation techniques for farming communities in Cambodia

The three goals of this project are: 1) Develop a training plan and materials that will enable the communications officer stationed at WWF Cambodia in Kratie province to lead a training exercise with Ministry of Environment and WWF staff in facilitating systems thinking discussions with farming communities in contexts of low literacy, poverty and high reliance on natural systems and 2) Develop a training for Ministry of Environment and WWF colleagues in Cambodia so that in a 2 hr slot, they are introduced to the basics in using systems thinking approaches with farming communities in contexts of low literacy, poverty and high reliance on natural systems. 3) Support WWF communications officer in delivering training and facilitating discussions with farming communities in Kratie province.

Pilot study on systems modeling for market transformation

Kenya Markets Trust’s work towards market system transformation requires a careful combination of in-depth knowledge of priority sectors and a more aggregate understanding of the feedback mechanisms within and across priority sectors. The pilot study on systems modeling focuses on the second point and integrates existing knowledge and data into decision support tools for prioritizing different intervention types both in terms of their relative importance and their temporal sequencing. The pilot study develops conceptual simulation models for the seed and dairy sector. These models allow KMT to understand the main processes driving seed and dairy sector development over time and evaluate the system-wide impacts of proposed market transformation interventions in the seed and dairy sector.

National strategy for adaptation to climate change in Burkina Faso

Several decades of successive droughts and desertification turned the Sahel region into one of the most vulnerable areas to increased climate change. This vulnerability incrementally expands in scope and visibility and leads to destroyed farmland, major food shortages, depleted herds, and considerable material and human losses. Adaptation to climate change is the adjustment in ecological, social or economic systems in order to alleviate adverse impacts of change or take advantage of new opportunities. However, well-intentioned adaptations can generate costs when wider issues or longer timeframes are considered. This project developed a system dynamics model and associated modeling capacity with key decision makers in Burkina Faso. The model serves as a multi-sector impact assessment tool and estimates the vulnerability of different policy sectors to climatic changes. It also quantifies the synergies and trade-offs between different adaptation options. The model contributes to building adaptive capacity in Burkina Faso by building awareness of the impacts of climate change, the necessity for a multi-sector adaptation strategy and by exploiting ways for maintaining economic growth.

Systems mapping and modeling workshops

The complexity of food and other socio-ecological systems makes policy analysis, governance design, evaluation, and learning challenging. These challenges suggest that a systems approach might be of particular value in understanding and shaping desired system outcomes. We facilitate qualitative systems mapping workshops as well as quantitative system dynamics modeling training, both with a special emphasis on multi-stakeholder involvement. Past projects include: Capacity building workshops in system dynamics and Threshold 21 modeling for Millennium Institute (millennium-institute.org). Systems mapping workshops for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and in various sub Saharan African countries.

Background paper Sustainable Development Goals

The world is facing the challenge of providing sufficient high quality food to nourish a global population that will peak at more than 9 billion by 2050. Meeting the challenges associated with reaching food and nutrition security for all while ensuring social and environmental welfare requires a shift to sustainable, diverse and resilient agricultural and food systems. This technical report provides background information on a post-2015 goal on sustainable agri-food systems and describes a conceptual framework for the formulation of targets and indicators underlying such goal.