A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Leverage points for sustainable wool production in the Falkland Islands
Abstract The Falkland Islands (‘Falklands’) are home to half a million sheep that graze a marginal and drying landscape. This presents new challenges for the grazing management decisions that sustain farmers' livelihoods, lifestyles, and the surrounding natural environment. Our examination deploys Donella Meadows’ (1999; 2008) concept of leverage points to explore the ways farmers intervene to make transformations toward social and ecological sustainability within these systems. The most effective and lasting transformations—called ‘deep’ leverage points—require changes in system design, structure, and way of thinking (e.g. paradigm shifts); these contrast with more common and less impactful ‘shallow’ leverage points, which focus on basic system parameters (e.g. rates and numbers). Thematic analysis of interview and field data reveals that while all methods of sheep grazing involve ‘shallow’ leverage points such as managing livestock numbers and wool quality, Holistic Management (HM)—a rotational grazing method based in systems thinking—facilitates ‘deep’ leverage points for sustainable transformations. Careful planning, goal setting, and learning to think systemically enable HM farmers to make lasting transformations toward more sustainable wool production in the Falklands. Using leverage points as a framework, we explore the transformation potential of HM in this island community, and what this might mean for sustainable transformations in rangelands elsewhere.
Highlights The global consequences of livestock production demand practical strategies for making sustainable transformations. Farmers in the Falkland Islands are facing new social and ecological challenges in their century old wool economy. Systems thinking and ‘leverage points’ provide a conceptual toolkit for understandingwool production as a complex system. Analysis reveals the transformative potential of Holistic Management (HM), a systems-based rotational grazing method.
Leverage points for sustainable wool production in the Falkland Islands
Abstract The Falkland Islands (‘Falklands’) are home to half a million sheep that graze a marginal and drying landscape. This presents new challenges for the grazing management decisions that sustain farmers' livelihoods, lifestyles, and the surrounding natural environment. Our examination deploys Donella Meadows’ (1999; 2008) concept of leverage points to explore the ways farmers intervene to make transformations toward social and ecological sustainability within these systems. The most effective and lasting transformations—called ‘deep’ leverage points—require changes in system design, structure, and way of thinking (e.g. paradigm shifts); these contrast with more common and less impactful ‘shallow’ leverage points, which focus on basic system parameters (e.g. rates and numbers). Thematic analysis of interview and field data reveals that while all methods of sheep grazing involve ‘shallow’ leverage points such as managing livestock numbers and wool quality, Holistic Management (HM)—a rotational grazing method based in systems thinking—facilitates ‘deep’ leverage points for sustainable transformations. Careful planning, goal setting, and learning to think systemically enable HM farmers to make lasting transformations toward more sustainable wool production in the Falklands. Using leverage points as a framework, we explore the transformation potential of HM in this island community, and what this might mean for sustainable transformations in rangelands elsewhere.
Highlights The global consequences of livestock production demand practical strategies for making sustainable transformations. Farmers in the Falkland Islands are facing new social and ecological challenges in their century old wool economy. Systems thinking and ‘leverage points’ provide a conceptual toolkit for understandingwool production as a complex system. Analysis reveals the transformative potential of Holistic Management (HM), a systems-based rotational grazing method.
Leverage points for sustainable wool production in the Falkland Islands
Tourangeau, Wesley (author) / Sherren, Kate (author)
Journal of Rural Studies ; 74 ; 22-33
2019-11-04
12 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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