Plant Production Systems Group

At the Plant Production Systems group, we believe that creating a fairer and more environmentally friendly world requires transformational change of our agricultural production and food systems, not just small, step-by-step improvements. No single model or approach for developing sustainable and resilient production systems fits everywhere, nor can we achieve meaningful changes in production systems if we study them in isolation. We therefore explore how farming systems function in their local context and do this by involving local stakeholders in the research. We also look at how insights from individual fields can be scaled up to entire farms, regions, and even the global level. To achieve this, we combine data from experiments, surveys and databases with modelling approaches such as crop and livestock simulations, bio-economic optimisation and statistical analysis.
Because our research questions involve both nature and people, our approach is strongly interdisciplinary. While our roots lie in the natural sciences, we work closely with researchers in the social sciences, such as economics, rural sociology and communication. This way, we can contribute to the development of diverse, resource-use efficient and resilient farming systems that produce the food required to feed the planet, while providing farmers and other agricultural sector actors with decent (living) incomes, dignity, and the freedom to operate. While highlighting externalities and trade-offs – and sometimes demystifying misconceptions – in farming system functioning and development, our work aims to contribute to the efficient use of resources, resilience to climate change, more equitable opportunities for people, and more positive outcomes for nature, including more biodiversity and cleaner water. This way, we create a more complete picture of sustainable and resilient farming systems.

An interdisciplinary approach is central in the research of our group, as our issues deal with complex human systems. We focus on the natural sciences but we also work together closely with groups from social sciences (e.g. economics, rural sociology, communication science) and also play a leading role in developing and executing major collaborative programmes.

We regularly publish our work in scientific journals, professional journals, scientific and popular books, and proceedings.