Abstract
Food systems are complex and multifaceted, comprising a diverse range of actors, processes, and interactions. The complexity of food systems necessitates the utilization of participatory system thinking as an effective approach to comprehending and developing sustainable and resilient food systems. However, the way the system maps can be visualized in participatory system thinking approaches is controversial. This practical research is a part of the Integrated Food Systems Planning Through Climate-Biodiversity-Health (CBH) Nexus project in the Comox Valley case. It pursues two main aims: to finalize the CBH system map of Comox Valley’s food systems, developed with a participatory approach, with the participation of stakeholders; and explain how participatory system thinking can be employed to clarify the complexity of food systems in a clear and concise manner for all stakeholders. The research is conducted by holding a series of workshops and using qualitative content analysis. The results of this study are used to finalize links and nodes of the system map and also propose developing a multi-dimension and multi-level app to show complex systems to share a clear, understandable, and reliable complex system map for all stakeholders. The findings demonstrate how different strategies align or conflict with various CBH imperatives, which can be utilized to support integrated community sustainability planning efforts, and additionally, the systems maps can be used as an analytical framework for further studies on how to address food systems (and broader sustainability) issues in a holistic way.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Food Production and Sustainability
KEYWORDS
FOOD SYSTEMS, INTEGRATED PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY, PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES
