Creating a Research Enterprise Framework for Global Efforts on Innovation at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems

Abstract:

Environmental change, population growth, and accelerating consumption of food, energy, and water (FEW) resources bring grand challenges for global sustainability. Despite dramatic differences in economic and sociopolitical structure, many countries share common FEW trajectories, interests in scientific solutions, and a perceived commitment to environmental sustainability. Currently, the evolving global change scenario urgently requires the creation of a transdisciplinary network to develop a global research agenda that addresses the impacts of regional and global FEW systems on the realization of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) as the world transitions from natural ecosystems to managed ecosystems at accelerating rates. However, FEW networks are complex systems and emergent with unpredictable properties. No single group of disciplines can generate comprehensive understanding on the feedbacks and impacts of FEW. We have identified four dominant barriers to an integrated FEW research enterprise, including siloed subsystems without true interaction, limited societal impacts on public policies, lack of recognition on socioeconomic difference, and unclear research stewardship. Based on an assessment of these barriers, we propose a research enterprise framework for global collaboration on the FEW nexus. The enterprise efforts focus on sociopolitical heterogeneousness and interplay of all sectors and countries, promote a shared, strategic vision, reduce various disparities, and emphasize networking and technological innovations while keeping uncertainty in mind. The research enterprise advocates true interdisciplinary collaboration in four integral parts: big model, big data, big technology, and big service. This FEW research enterprise is expected to mitigate the competing relationships among FEW resources and the conflicts between the local and global processes.