How can research support sustainable agriculture?
Agricultural scientist and researcher Dr Christopher Brock invites you on a thought-provoking journey: What is the relationship between agricultural practice and research? What can research contribute to agriculture? And how must the research perspective shift to align with the spiritual foundations of biodynamic agriculture? Engage in some fundamental reflections!
Agriculture has evolved over thousands of years, rooted in farmers’ ability to observe and understand the natural world they work with. This development occurred for a long time without the support of scientists. Even today, farmers largely shape their farming systems based on their own knowledge and needs. However, farmers are not isolated experts acting independently of the outside world. Instead, agriculture is an agrarian culture — a cultural activity embedded not only in a natural but also in a social environment, supported by other knowledge bearers.
What research can contribute to agriculture
Research is a systematic way of investigation, allowing us to not only intuitively understand phenomena and processes but also explain them and connect them with other observations. Moreover, research facilitates the transfer of knowledge and the generation of universally applicable insights. While farming systems can develop over time based on farmers’ knowledge, research’s methodological approach can accelerate these processes, leading to faster improvements and helping to avoid failures — an invaluable advantage.
Insights beyond perception
Research can also provide insights into issues beyond farmers’ perception. For example, nitrous oxide emissions from farms often go unnoticed, as nitrogen losses are minimal and the gas has no smell or colour. Yet nitrous oxide is 265 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2. Similarly, aspects of food quality may be difficult to perceive when the health effects are subtle.
Additionally, research can create an environment for experimentation. Farms are subject to both natural forces and economic pressures, limiting their capacity for experimentation. As a result, developments often occur under pressure and are restricted.
Expanding research
Research that supports sustainable development is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary task that must encompass not only the ecological but also the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of sustainability. We should also acknowledge the limits of our scientific knowledge system. In his book The Science of the Living, Werner Merker advocates for organic rather than mechanistic thinking, which involves incorporating empathy and intuition into our perception of the world and life processes.
In our research team, which includes members from the Forschungsring (the central research institute of the biodynamic movement) and Demeter Germany, we concluded that a more holistic perspective is needed — both horizontally and vertically.
Horizontal holism
This means taking a broader perspective that considers the ecological, social, economic, and cultural environment of a given subject of study. For example, we might examine the effects of biodynamic preparations on crop yields — a valuable undertaking that follows a classic disciplinary approach in plant science. Fortunately, interdisciplinary research has become more common in recent decades. In this example, we might also study the impact of preparations on soil properties and the microbiome.
However, a truly holistic perspective must also include the social, economic, and cultural dimensions. In our example, we would also consider why we use the preparations. We would explore the personal relationship to the work with preparations, as well as the economic implications and the cultural and spiritual role of the preparations on the farm.
Vertical holism
Research in the field of biodynamic food and agriculture heavily relies on methods from the natural sciences. This makes sense, as these methods are powerful tools for investigating the physical world. However, biodynamic agriculture is based on a philosophy that encompasses more dimensions than just the physical world. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to study biodynamic food and agriculture solely on a physical basis and using natural scientific methods.
Integrating different knowledge systems
If we want to conduct scientific research that acknowledges anthroposophy as the foundation of biodynamic agriculture, we must integrate various knowledge systems without undermining any of them. Presenting findings from all these methods provides a foundation for holistic conclusions that reflect the complexity of agriculture and offer solutions to ecological, economic, and social challenges.