The Future of Agricultural and Food Research: Embracing Living Labs for Systemic Transformation
The journey of food from production to consumption involves a complex value chain that demands innovative approaches for research and practice to converge effectively. A promising model gaining traction in agricultural and food systems is the concept of living labs—dynamic environments where diverse stakeholders co-create and experiment with solutions in real-world contexts. The German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Permanent Senate Commission on the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems (SKAE) recently published a statement outlining critical conditions for the success of living labs in this domain.
Living labs bring together actors from academia, politics, industry, professional associations, and civil society to collaboratively identify challenges and co-develop solutions. Unlike conventional research paradigms, these labs emphasize participatory design, where both academic researchers and external participants jointly shape research agendas. While living labs are well established in fields like sustainable urban development and healthcare robotics, their application to agriculture and nutrition is emerging, promising new insights and practical impacts.
In agriculture, for instance, living labs are investigating how legumes can be more effectively integrated into farming practices and marketed as niche crops in Germany, addressing sustainability and economic diversification. Nutrition-focused living labs are exploring sustainable and healthier eating environments in institutional settings such as schools and hospitals, emphasizing public acceptance, cost-effectiveness, and disease prevention.
However, the SKAE highlights several challenges inherent to implementing living labs. Stakeholders often have divergent interests and resources, while regulatory and administrative frameworks may inhibit collaboration. The coordination and trust-building efforts required are substantial. Moreover, typical research incentives and short project cycles are poorly aligned with the long-term nature of living lab endeavors, complicating sustained engagement.
To overcome these obstacles, the commission advocates for long-term funding horizons—at least a decade—allowing trust and effective structures to develop. Importantly, financing should not be limited to traditional project-based funds but shared collectively by researchers, policymakers, businesses, and society. This shared stewardship acknowledges the systemic nature of agricultural transformations and the multifaceted benefits living labs can yield.
Methodologically, living labs challenge the conventional dichotomy between controlled scientific experiments and open-ended real-world explorations. While laboratory studies reveal fundamental mechanisms, living labs enable iterative co-creation and testing of innovations, fostering adaptive learning processes across stakeholder groups.
According to Professor Doris Vetterlein of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, who chairs the SKAE, integrating living labs into research landscapes offers a vital complementary perspective. This approach enriches basic research by grounding it in context, ultimately accelerating the transformation of agricultural and food systems toward sustainability, resilience, and health.
The SKAE’s statement represents a call to reimagine agricultural and food research infrastructure, policy, and culture. Embracing living labs as sustained, collaborative platforms can bridge gaps between science and practice, catalyzing systemic changes that align with global sustainability goals.
Subject of Research: Agricultural and Food System Transformation
Article Title: The Future of Agricultural and Food Research: Embracing Living Labs for Systemic Transformation
News Publication Date: July 2024
Web References:
– https://zenodo.org/records/20830045
– https://www.dfg.de/en/about-us/statutory-bodies/senate/agricultural-food-systems
Keywords: Agriculture, Sustainable agriculture, Scientific community, Science policy, Technology, Health and medicine
