D.2.1 Cross-case identified lock ins and potential levers from a food systems perspective_FINAL_v2.0
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The ENFASYS project, aims to promote a transition to sustainable, productive, climate-neutral, biodiversity-friendly, and resilient farming systems across Europe. This document presents the findings of the first two tasks of Work Package 2 (WP2), which is focused on building a comprehensive, system-dynamic understanding of the mechanisms, lock-ins, and leverage points that influence the transition towards sustainable farming systems. This work package seeks to uncover the complex interactions and feedback loops within farming and food systems that create barriers to change, as well as opportunities for intervention. By using case study research across multiple contexts in Europe, WP2 will provide insights into how these factors either facilitate or hinder progress toward sustainability goals. The WP aims at developing dynamic system maps for each case study to visualize the key elements, interactions, and feedback loops that define current agricultural systems. Through the analysis of the economic, social, and political lock-ins that prevent farmers from adopting sustainable practices, such as market pressures, policy constraints, or cultural norms the WP identifies potential leverage points where strategic interventions (policy, technological, or social) could catalyse significant changes within the system. The first section details the methodology used to create Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) for each case study, which includes key variables essential for understanding the dynamics within different farming systems. These visual representations, developed with the Case Study Coordinators (CSC), facilitate in understanding the complex interactions of systemic barriers and potential levers. The second section focuses on the identification of systemic lock-ins and potential levers based on the CLDs within various agricultural contexts. Barriers and potential levers were firstly identified by CSCs from ten European case studies within Task 2.1 and then through comprehensive cross-case analysis, key barriers to sustainability and strategic levers that can potentially overcome them were re-assessed and integrated in the CLDs. The analysis reveals several common lock-ins that hinder the adoption of sustainable farming practices clustered within the following categories: economic dependencies on high-input farming methods, regulatory barriers that favour conventional agriculture, cultural practices deeply rooted in traditional farming, technological constraints that limit access to sustainable innovations, and limited market access for sustainably produced goods. Context-specific lock-ins are also presented for each case study, reflecting the unique challenges faced by different regions and agricultural systems. The report highlights the interdependent nature of these lock-ins, suggesting that addressing them in isolation is unlikely to yield significant progress. Instead, a holistic approach is necessary, tackling multiple lock-ins simultaneously through coordinated efforts at both the policy and community levels.
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: European Commission
OpenAlex ID: W7124753227
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