Farming Systems Research (FSR) was initiated in the 1970s by researchers working in developing countries (mostly in publicly funded research organisations such as the CGIAR centres such as CIMMYT, ICTA, IITA, ICARDA or IRRI). They wanted to address the fact that smallholder-farmers were not adopting the technical recommendations derived from disciplinary, commodity-oriented research. Recommendations derived from this type of research were targeted at commercial farms and were, in general, unfit for the priorities and conditions of smallholders (for sources and publications, see the comprehensive document repository at the University of Florida). Thus, originally Farming Systems Research focused on smallholders and resource-poor farmers in developing countries. The aim of the field practitioners was to improve the understanding of small farmers and the way they make decisions. This insight could then be used:

• to identify how research recommendations could be reshaped to better fit local farming systems,
• to better steer the research agenda of agricultural research stations, and
• to influence policy formulation.

In the 1980s, European researchers (some of which had been involved in development work) noted that in Europe family farms, especially those in less favoured areas, were also not adopting the technical innovations recommended by the top-down research-extension framework. Farming Systems Research was thus introduced in Europe to address the needs and potentials of family farmers as well as those commercial farmers, whose determinants for action could not be reduced to profit maximisation. Over the years, developments in Farming Systems Research reflect a shift toward holistic, multi-scale, and participatory approaches, addressing system complexity, sustainability challenges, and continuous learning in dynamic socio-ecological contexts:

• Expanded scope of systems: from crop-focused studies to diverse enterprises (livestock, aquaculture, agroforestry, and non-agricultural activities), assessing system-wide impacts rather than single technologies.
• Multi-scale perspective: farming is now analysed within nested systems (farm, landscape, region, global), capturing complex interactions across ecological, economic, and institutional levels.
• Stakeholder diversity: recognition of multiple actors with differing perspectives, including gender dimensions, requiring participatory approaches to reconcile interests.
• Territorial approach: inclusion of non-farming activities and rural livelihoods, moving beyond a purely sectoral view toward broader rural systems.
• Redefined performance: from productivity alone to stability and sustainability, considering long-term system dynamics and integrated assessments.
• Dynamic learning processes: dropped of “best solutions” in favour of adaptive, iterative learning (“learning by doing”) in evolving socio-ecological contexts.