The document summarizes a team project focused on optimal land use for small-scale farmers. The team used systems thinking to map the relationships between key factors influencing land management decisions for small farmers. They identified better land yields leading to economic prosperity, which enables better education and social development in communities, improving agricultural practices and sustainability over time. Consultants provided feedback that social, political, and corruption factors also significantly impact land use systems. The team's work highlighted sharing knowledge around sustainable agriculture, political participation, social equity, and business skills as important areas of investment.

1. Sustainable Systems |

2. Sustainable Systems |
Our team was created in response to Dragos' open call on the course platform.
Despite our diverse backgrounds and abilities, we were connected by a deep interest in
working on sustainability-related projects from a systemic thinking approach.
Team members
Bunmi Lawal
Dragos Necula
Melissa Miyashiro
Mira Grinsfelder
Javier Patino Castro
Joaquin Rosas
Ranah Malberg
Rhita Nabirye
/ Nigeria
/ Romania
/ United States
/ United States
/ Colombia
/ Chile
/ Singapore
/ Uganda

3. Optimal land use for small scale land owners.
It is calculated that approximately 90% of the food consumed in the world is grown by
smallholder farmers. However, they remain the poorest between the productive
population. So it is crucial for small landowners to made use in a better way to heir land
to improve their quality of life.
Sustainable Systems |

4. Sustainable Systems |

5. Sustainable Systems |
GUIDING STAR
All small-scale farmers are empowered to achieve a better quality of life through
productive, sustainable and secure land management.
NEAR STAR
A best practice resource and communication platform that would encourage and enable
key actors involved in land management systems to organize, transforms, and educate
themselves and their communities to increase their wellbeing in a productive,
sustainable and secure manner.
FRAMING QUESTION
What are the forces that influence land management decisions for small scale
farmers?

6. This loop captures the elements involved in optimal land use for small scale farmers.
We've identified positive land output (in terms of yield and sustainability) as the key
success factor of the system.
Better land yields lead to individual and eventually regional economic prosperity. This, in
turn, creates the conditions and incentives for better farmer representation in the local
and national decision making bodies, leading to increased support for the community in
terms of access to education and financial resources.
Better education then helps improve social elements of the community such as farmer
welfare, equal representation and improved sustainability oriented agricultural know how
and practices. Finally these elements close the loop by creating the conditions to
increase farm output, both in terms of quantity and environmental impact.
Sustainable Systems |

7. Sustainable Systems |

8. Sustainable Systems |

9. The system map was shared with two consultants who work on the design of productive
development projects with a strong sustainability component.
Due to their experience working from a sustainable approach, both consultants found
value in the relationship established between education, social behaviors, and political
representation, as a key aspect to promote a change towards a sustainable model.
Among the missing elements are the great influence that corruption can have in rural
areas (specifically with regard to the allocation or plundering of land), the diversion of
economic resources, and the obstacles that small farmers must overcome to access the
market.
Sustainable Systems |

10. Sustainable Systems |
Invest in knowledge sharing about the system:
(1) sustainable agricultural practices;
(2) political activism;
(3) social equity;
(4) business acumen.

11. What systems in your life or work do you now think about differently? Has your new
perspective changed the way you interact with those systems in your life or work?
How will you take your systems practice forward?
What is the biggest practical thing you will do differently as a result of this course?
Sustainable Systems |

12. Sustainable Systems |

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reinforcement
of gender norms
policies that
expand access
to land, resources,
financing
Improved Tech
infrastructure
Individual
and regional
economic prosperity
Quality productive
time
women's participation
in policy making
Struggle to
satisfy the
need to feed
the family
Accessibility
of relevant
high quality
education
Representation
in decision
making
economic power
Corruption
knowledge of
sustainable
agricultural
practices
People make
informed decisions
that encourages
sustainability
�How people
get into the
system?
Land yield
Farmers as
stewards of
environmental
and sustainable
agricultural
practices
Irrigation
profitability
of women-led
farming operations
Ease of using
technological
services
Short term
coping mechanism
Learn popular
belief to work
the land
Trust in land
potential
Land degradation
Sustainable
agricultural
practices
Better formal
education institutions
reliance on
imports
Uncertainty
Biodiverse
food systems
diversified
economy
Social equity
environmental
impacts (climate
change droughts)
NGOs
Monocultures
People consume
reliable information
Expectaction
for progress
Pesticides
and fertilisers
GM seed use
Stronger connection
to the land
Gender Inequality
Behavioral factors
Political Representation
Environmental factors
Knowledge & Decisionmaking
DEEP STRUCTURE
Economy