Explore challenges and opportunities for transitioning from conventional agriculture to agroecological food systems (AFS) in Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
Develop a practical pathway for systemic change addressing economic, policy, social, and psychological dynamics.
Conventional agriculture in Noord-Brabant causes:
AFS integrates ecological principles to create resilient food systems:
Economic potential: +73% family income (Van der Ploeg et al., 2019)
How can barriers to AFS transition be addressed sequentially at provincial level?
Philosophy: Interpretivism + Pragmatism
Approach: Inductive (theory built from data)
Methodology: Multi-method qualitative
Diverse stakeholder representation:
Ethical considerations: Anonymity, GDPR compliance, informed consent
Used to prioritize and sequence recommendations
The transition to AFS involves a complex network of stakeholders with varying levels of influence:
Primary implementers of change. Younger farmers more open to transition.
Sets legal frameworks, regulations, and subsidy structures at multiple levels.
Provide scientific insights and develop alternative models.
Influence agricultural investments (e.g., Rabobank).
Supermarkets and processors shape demand and market dynamics.
Advocate for ecological integrity and social equity.
Key insights from stakeholder analysis:
- Participant 1 (Lecturer & Researcher)
- Participant 4 (Professor)
Stakeholders identified interconnected barriers across multiple dimensions:
Stakeholders emphasized how barriers reinforce each other:
"Barriers form a self-reinforcing system that resists transformation" - P4
- Participant 1 (Lecturer & Researcher)
- Participant 3 (Farm Owner)
- Participant 5 (Agriculture Expert)
- Participant 1
- Participant 5
- José Eduardo Rosa López
Transition to Agroecological Food Systems: A Case Study of North Brabant
José Eduardo Rosa López | Aeres University of Applied Sciences | August 2025