A team of researchers from ̽̽ has turned their Food Systems Research Center funding into a recently published article in . Led by Community Development and Applied Economics faculty member Joe Ament, the study, titled , explores the concept of embeddedness in agricultural systems within Vermont. For the first time, this transdisciplinary ̽̽ study developed a theoretical framework and tool to measure embeddedness within agricultural systems called the Embeddedness Type Matrix (ETM). The concept of embeddedness is a term used to describe the extent to which individual values influence motivations and behaviors within economic systems. The research team argues analysis of economic systems, without regard for those systems' values, motivations, and sociocultural structure falls short of painting the clear picture necessary to implement effective and sustainable policies.
The current body of research concerning sustainable agricultural systems is widely based on the assumption that producers and consumers make decisions solely for selfish reasons or to maximize their own well-being. However, these assumptions are inaccurate and largely ignore the complexity of values and motivations held by individuals within a specific system.
Attempts in previous research to measure the social dimensions of sustainability include frameworks like social capital or sustainable livelihoods. However, these concepts tend to focus solely on the outcomes of these systems without much regard for the importance of analyzing the processes behind them.
The research produced by Ament and his ̽̽ colleagues, Daniel Tobin, Amy Trubek, Scott Merrill, Cheryl Morse, Tung Lin-Liu, and ARS Scientist Caitlin Morgan, fills a methodological and theoretical gap in understanding and measuring the social dynamics of sustainability. Although this paper is a direct rebuke to the foundations of previous research and the rational actor model, it is not meant to imply that measurements of price, production, and market access are not useful but instead complements previous research with the recommendation that embeddedness measurements be included in future analyses to capture a better representation of an agricultural system.
The ETM tool precisely measures two dimensions of social sustainability. The first is the extent to which individuals’ economic actions are motivated, based on a range from altruistic to egoistic, defined as instrumentalism. The second is the extent to which price is a dominant concern for the same individuals, defined as marketness. Each individual’s instrumentalism and marketness score is calculated and mapped on a defined embeddedness score grid. The collection of individuals’ scores within the embeddedness score grid then paints a clearer picture of where the agricultural system’s sustainability currently stands.
“The use of the ETM tool really attempts to take into account the social aspects of these agricultural systems through the concept of embeddedness,” said Ament. “The tool’s impact, after empirical testing, should help provide policymakers and researchers with better insights into a more socially and environmentally sustainable pathway for these systems.”
The researchers conclude that measuring social embeddedness, as outlined in the paper, can lead to a better understanding of agricultural systems. The ETM tool and theoretical framework provide an opportunity to view an agricultural system’s sustainability as a moment in time. Mapping its location on the embeddedness score grid could allow researchers and policymakers to more accurately and effectively plan a path toward a more sustainable future.
