The farming system is the basis of human existence through its production of provisions for man. By a continuous exchange of information, energy and material, between the ecosystems and the social systems, the farming system becomes an emergent property. The system's own properties, in the sense of farming methods, circulations and institutions, evolve through an adaptive process. Understanding this process and constantly learn from it, is the starting point for creating a sustainable development within farming systems. Thus, future farming system has to develop strategies that produce food provisions while at the same time takes into consideration the ecosystem's resilience and its integrity, but which also enables an ethical discussion.
The institutions within the farming system are understood as links between the ecosystems and the social systems. In this study I describe an institutional process of change that includes both a narrow definition of the concept of institution (e.g., farmers, authorities) to a broader definition. In the latter definition the institutions are not separated from man or values in the sense that human collaboration IS a societal institution. The point of departure is that a sustainable development of farming systems demands an increased social participation; participation in environmental decision making create better conditions for socially and ecologically sound decisions.
This study is a synthesis of theories in Adaptive Co- Management, System Thinking and System Ecology. Based on the theoretical analysis of what is needed to enable sustainable development of farming systems in Sweden, I explore the consequences of such an approach through a case study of the County Administration's potentials to work with the new Rural Development Program.
In my master thesis, I argue that sustainable development within farming system calls for new ways of communicating between existing institutions and also call for the establishment of new institutions. I identify four types of institutions that together enable learning and adaptation. Two of the types, as I see it, can be developed from already existing institutions through a process of institutional change that are connected to the perspective of learning organizations. These two types are institutions that might strengthen the communication between different system levels within the farming system:
§ Bridging institutions: that create communication between for example the EU and individual farmers (existing institutions that can develop the task are 'Naturskyddsföreningen', Sida).
§ Overlapping regional and global institutions: that have a landscape perspective or a global perspective of the administration of natural resources (existing institutions that can develop the task are the county administration, the UN).
Simultaneously, two 'new' institutions arise through the processes of collaboration. These institutions are in constant change through the ongoing collaborative learning which defines them. The function of the new institutions is to locally establish the administration of the ecosystem. These institutions are:
§ Horizontally integrated institutions: that are created through the collaboration between farmers in one village or between individuals who share the same place to live.
§ Vertically integrated institutions: that are created through the co-operation around one resource or between individuals from for example Sida, county administration, politicians at municipal level, farmers and the public.
In the future an important task for existing institutions is to facilitate and support collaborative change. To succeed, existing institutions must develop competence for facilitating collaboration, creating venues and networks for collaboration, adopt a value basis for collaboration and develop know-how with relevant collaboration personnel. To examine the possibility for an existing institution to develop in this direction, within existing administrative and political context, I devote the last part of the study and the discussion to an analysis of the County Administration's potential as a...
