WaCASA brings together a rich diversity of methods and approaches. These methods can be re-combined and employed to allow approaches for integrated assessment to be developed, relevant to all research issues and systems described above.
A joint ‘Agricultural Systems Methodology Repository’ (AMR) is being developed as an open source resource. During recent years, each group has developed and uses its own research tools. Development of methods is tackled in several projects, based in case studies in different parts of the world, each with its own focus on specific sustainability problems. The type of sustainability problems, the data availability and the type of solutions in developing countries often differs from these in the western world and hence, require different or at least adapted methodologies. This has resulted in a wealth of approaches that would be even more effective to tackle the societal themes if developed and applied in a joint effort. The AMR would include tools for:
a. Soft systems approaches:
- Participatory and action research
- Reflexive learning
- Co-innovation
- Game-based stakeholder/group interaction
b. Hard systems approaches
- Bio-economic modelling
- Crop and animal simulation models
- Life-cycle analysis
- Farm surveys and typology analysis
- Mathematical programming techniques
- Heuristic optimization techniques (incl. Genetic and Evolutionary algorithms GAs and EAs, MOSCEM)
- Trade-off and synergy analysis
- Chain and network analysis, graph theory
- Agent based models (ABMs)
- Data and databases on
- Weather
- Soils
- Farms
- Crop and animal specific information
- Relevant economic information
- Policies
The above example illustrates the potential combination of approaches from the two groups to the issue of food security.