Agricultural systems must be strengthened to improve resilience and sustainability to face pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, market uncertainty, and growing food demand intensify. This requires structured approaches that guide multiple actors toward systemic solutions addressing interconnected challenges. Initiatives increasingly promote innovation and multi-scale adaptation strategies to enhance environmental performance, reduce emissions, and protect livelihoods and natural resources such as soil and water. Collaborative innovations across value chains, including circular and bioeconomy models, support more inclusive and resource-efficient systems. However, their effectiveness depends on strengthening stakeholders’ capacities through training and advisory services. Inclusive governance and participatory decision-making are therefore essential to improve adaptability and resilience.

In this context recent developments in Farming Systems Research include:

Transformative changes
This research direction focuses on the transition toward more sustainable and equitable farming systems in response to interconnected climate, social, and economic challenges. It examines multiple transition pathways involving public and private actors across policy levels, highlighting the emergence of new roles, relationships, and responsibilities. Particular attention is given to the increasing complexity faced by farmers in managing trade-offs and synergies within their production systems.

Landscape and communities
This direction explores farming systems as embedded within specific territorial and socio-ecological contexts. It emphasizes how interactions among farmers, local actors, and ecological dynamics shape both landscapes and local identities. By adopting a landscape perspective, it seeks to better understand and manage trade-offs in transition processes, recognising that sustainability outcomes extend beyond agriculture alone.

Capacity development for systemic change
This strand addresses the need for integrated approaches to knowledge generation, innovation, and learning in increasingly complex agri-food systems. It focuses on multi-actor collaboration, capacity building, and the development of tools and methods that support interaction, trust, and co-learning. It also highlights the importance of governance frameworks and institutional arrangements in enabling systemic change, alongside evolving advisory systems and lifelong learning processes.

Food systems and WEFE nexus
This research direction examines the vulnerability of food systems to multiple global disruptions and the role of innovation across value chains in enhancing resilience and sustainability. It emphasizes resource optimization through the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems nexus and promotes participatory, integrated approaches to decision-making. The aim is to support the transition toward more resilient, equitable, and resource-efficient agri-food systems.