Fossil fuel (in)dependency in agriculture – Communicating complexity through design
Sweden is transitioning toward fossil independent agriculture until 2030.
How can we sustainably achieve this ambitious goal? Above all, how can we support those who are most affected, the farmers, in their transition?
In collaboration with Länsstyrelsen Kronoberg, I aimed to find out how we can transition to fossil independent agriculture. Through design research and participatory design practices, I researched what farmers need in order to take on this complex challenge. I talked to relevant actors in the fields of energy and agriculture, wanting to find out about challenges and solutions. Most of all, I visited four farmers in the region to understand their situation. My research brought many valuable insights that I ultimately communicated to relevant stakeholders.
The research showed five main points that are crucial for the transition:
Rapid development and implementation of new technologies
Supportive political frameworks
Diversity of solutions
Systems Thinking
Collaboration across sectors
At the international design festival Southern Sweden Design Days, I presented my project as an installation of an interconnected network of actors, adapted from the Actor-Network-Theory. I aimed to communicate the need for systems thinking and for bringing different stakeholders together in order to find solutions collaboratively. I included several crucial quotes from my research in the installation.
