The BRIGHT-Futures project addresses the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices amidst climate change, environmental degradation and social injustices. Despite decades of agricultural and ecological research, challenges such as species extinction and failure to meet Paris Climate Agreement goals persist. The BRIGHT-Futures project aims to trial a different approach: Instead of focusing on the problems, it aims to learn from existing solutions. These so-called "Bright Spots"— i.e. regions and farms that are already economically viable, socially just, climate-friendly, and biodiversity-promoting – can help us identifying and understanding existing effective, sustainable agricultural models.
As part of its second new paradigm, the BRIGHT-Futures project aims to shift away from often over-simplifying supposedly silver-bullet solutions towards a deeper understanding of existing sustainable agricultural models. By studying the ecological and socio-economic mechanisms of existing successful sustainable farming systems in four different corners of the world in India (Kerala), Kenya (Western Kenya), Mexico (Oaxaca) and Germany (Bavaria and Baden Württemberg), the project aims to draw conclusions about generalizable principles and the underlying mechanisms and leverage points of these Bright Spots.
OBJECTIVES:
- BRIGHT-Futures aims to identify successful sustainable agricultural systems, termed "Bright Spots." By analyzing secondary and empirical field data, BRIGHT-Futures will pinpoint regions and individual farms exhibiting outstanding economic, ecological, and social sustainability (Identification of Bright Spots).
- The second phase involves detailed interdisciplinary field studies to uncover the success factors of these Bright Spots, such as agricultural practices, climatic conditions, and policy frameworks (Mechanisms of Bright Spots).
- Finally, the project seeks to identify effective leverage points through cross-regional analysis, facilitating the transfer of successful practices to less sustainable neighboring regions to promote widespread agricultural transformation (Leverage Points for Bright Spots).
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The ANTON & PETRA EHRMANN FOUNDATION supports cultural and charitable purposes that correspond to the ideas and basic values of social responsibility.
