Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability
Smallholders are crucial for global sustainability given their importance to food and nutritional security, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. Worldwide smallholders are subject to expanded telecoupling whereby their social-ecological systems are linked to large-scale socioeconomic and envi...
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doaj-49e6f287bd5c487baaea6f178b75818b2020-11-24T21:00:41ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872018-03-012313010.5751/ES-09935-2301309935Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainabilityKarl S. Zimmerer0Eric F. Lambin1Steven J. Vanek2GeoSyntheSES Laboratory, Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USASchool of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USAGeoSyntheSES Laboratory, Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USASmallholders are crucial for global sustainability given their importance to food and nutritional security, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. Worldwide smallholders are subject to expanded telecoupling whereby their social-ecological systems are linked to large-scale socioeconomic and environmental drivers. The present research uses the synthesis of empirical evidence to demonstrate smallholder telecoupling through the linkages stemming from the global-level integration of markets (commodity, labor, finance), urbanization, governance, and technology. These telecoupling forces are often disadvantageous to smallholders while certain conditions can contribute to the potential sustainability of their social-ecological systems. Case studies were chosen to describe sustainability opportunities and limits involving smallholder production and consumption of high-agrobiodiversity Andean maize amid telecoupled migration (Bolivia), the role of international eco-certification in smallholder coffee-growing and agroforests (Colombia), smallholder organic dairy production in large-scale markets and technology transfer (upper Midwest, U.S.A.), and smallholders' global niche commodity production of argan oil (Morocco). These case studies are used to identify the key challenges and opportunities faced by smallholders in telecoupling and to develop a conceptual framework. This framework specifies the integrated roles of global systems together with influential public and private institutions operating at multiple scales including the national level. The framework also integrates the local dynamics of smallholders' multiple land use units and their socioeconomic and environmental variation. Spatial spillover effects in smallholder landscapes are an additional element. This framework further establishes the un-Romantic, nonteleological, and antifetishistic view of smallholders. It provides specific insights on the multilevel dynamics of smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability opportunities that can strengthen livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and food and nutritional security. These insights are concluded to be valuable to environmental, agricultural, and food scientists and scholars (both biogeophysical sciences and social sciences), policy makers, institutional analysts, development specialists and practitioners, social justice activists, and others seeking to advance global sustainability including sustainable development.http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol23/iss1/art30/agrobiodiversityarganbiodiversitycoffeeeco-certificationfood securityglobalizationmaizenutritional securityorganic dairyprivate and public institutionsresiliencesmallholderssmall-scale agriculturesocial-ecological systemsspilloverssustainabilitytelecoupling |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Karl S. Zimmerer Eric F. Lambin Steven J. Vanek |
spellingShingle |
Karl S. Zimmerer Eric F. Lambin Steven J. Vanek Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability Ecology and Society agrobiodiversity argan biodiversity coffee eco-certification food security globalization maize nutritional security organic dairy private and public institutions resilience smallholders small-scale agriculture social-ecological systems spillovers sustainability telecoupling |
author_facet |
Karl S. Zimmerer Eric F. Lambin Steven J. Vanek |
author_sort |
Karl S. Zimmerer |
title |
Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability |
title_short |
Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability |
title_full |
Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability |
title_fullStr |
Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability |
title_sort |
smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability |
publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
series |
Ecology and Society |
issn |
1708-3087 |
publishDate |
2018-03-01 |
description |
Smallholders are crucial for global sustainability given their importance to food and nutritional security, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. Worldwide smallholders are subject to expanded telecoupling whereby their social-ecological systems are linked to large-scale socioeconomic and environmental drivers. The present research uses the synthesis of empirical evidence to demonstrate smallholder telecoupling through the linkages stemming from the global-level integration of markets (commodity, labor, finance), urbanization, governance, and technology. These telecoupling forces are often disadvantageous to smallholders while certain conditions can contribute to the potential sustainability of their social-ecological systems. Case studies were chosen to describe sustainability opportunities and limits involving smallholder production and consumption of high-agrobiodiversity Andean maize amid telecoupled migration (Bolivia), the role of international eco-certification in smallholder coffee-growing and agroforests (Colombia), smallholder organic dairy production in large-scale markets and technology transfer (upper Midwest, U.S.A.), and smallholders' global niche commodity production of argan oil (Morocco). These case studies are used to identify the key challenges and opportunities faced by smallholders in telecoupling and to develop a conceptual framework. This framework specifies the integrated roles of global systems together with influential public and private institutions operating at multiple scales including the national level. The framework also integrates the local dynamics of smallholders' multiple land use units and their socioeconomic and environmental variation. Spatial spillover effects in smallholder landscapes are an additional element. This framework further establishes the un-Romantic, nonteleological, and antifetishistic view of smallholders. It provides specific insights on the multilevel dynamics of smallholder telecoupling and potential sustainability opportunities that can strengthen livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and food and nutritional security. These insights are concluded to be valuable to environmental, agricultural, and food scientists and scholars (both biogeophysical sciences and social sciences), policy makers, institutional analysts, development specialists and practitioners, social justice activists, and others seeking to advance global sustainability including sustainable development. |
topic |
agrobiodiversity argan biodiversity coffee eco-certification food security globalization maize nutritional security organic dairy private and public institutions resilience smallholders small-scale agriculture social-ecological systems spillovers sustainability telecoupling |
url |
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol23/iss1/art30/ |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT karlszimmerer smallholdertelecouplingandpotentialsustainability AT ericflambin smallholdertelecouplingandpotentialsustainability AT stevenjvanek smallholdertelecouplingandpotentialsustainability |
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