OFS-Project
OFS-Project - How can organic/biodynamic food systems contribute to the societal transformation towards sustainability?
Project period: 15.01.2020 - 31.07.2022
Project coordination: Dr. Lilliana Stefanovic (University of Kassel)
Project funding: Software AG Foundation
Section's research area: Food System
Project aims: Investigation of the contribution of organic/biodynamic food systems (OFSs) to a societal, agricultural, and trade/consumption transformation towards more environmentally friendly, socially acceptable and healthier lifestyles.
Project description: It is assumed that ecological/biodynamic food systems are already more sustainable than other (conventional) systems, and the project aims to find out why and how/where exactly. The investigation is based on eleven OFS case studies scattered around the world. The project aims to explore three key aspects of social change: 1) what drives people; 2) what determines peoples relationship (internal and external motivations); and 3) how the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are addressed. A systems approach is used which places people at the center and integrates people of practice into the research. The methodology is based on the mixed methods approach. The individual case studies of the selected OFSs play a central role. Among others, the following qualitative and quantitative methods are used: online surveys, expert roundtables, exploratory Skype interviews, semi-structured interviews and on-site observations, on-site focus groups, group discussions, etc.
Cooperation partners:
- OFSP
- Sweden (BERAS International)
- Stefanovic, L. (2022): SDG Performance in Local Organic Food Systems and the Role of Sustainable Public Procurement. Sustainability, 14 (18): 11510. doi:
10.3390/su141811510. - Kretschmer, S. (2022): Transformative Driving Forces in Organic Food Systems: A Roadmap toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 5. Department of Organic Food Quality and Food Culture, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen: Kassel University Press. Dissertation. doi: 10.17170/kobra-202204206044.
- Kretschmer, S., & Kahl, J. (2021). Sustainable Development Goal Drivers in Food Systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5: 536620. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.536620.
- Kretschmer, S., Langfeldt, B., Herzig, C., & Krikser, T. (2021). The Organic Mindset: Insights from a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory (MM-GT) Study into Organic Food Systems. Sustainability, 13(9): 4724. doi: 10.3390/su13094724.
- Stefanovic, L. (2021). Basis for monitoring the performance of Sustainable Development Goals in Organic Food Systems: A first approximation. Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 2, Department of Organic Food Quality and Food Culture, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen: Kassel University Press. Dissertation. doi: 10.17170/kobra-202108064499.
- Jamil, T., Stefanovic, L., Kretschmer, S. (2021). (Hrsg.). Organic Food Systems cases around the world: A documentation project. Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 1, Department of Organic Food Quality and Food Culture, Witzenhausen: Kassel University Press. doi: 10.17170/kobra-202102083130.
- Stefanovic, L., Kretschmer, S., Jamil, T., Kahl, J. (2020). Organic Food System Case Study Project – University of Kassel. ALGOA/ GAOD Book Series, Book 5:
Contributions from the Work Groups of GAOD. Goesan, South Korea, S. 21-26. ISBN:
978-88-944564-3-1.