Postgraduate Course Sustainable Productive Transitions 2026

Foundations for Sustainable Transitions of Uruguay’s Food Systems, with Emphasis on the Primary Production Stage

General Objective

To study the conceptual and scientific foundations upon which sustainable transition processes in food systems, particularly at the agroecosystem level, can be promoted. To discuss strategies and tools for evaluating current systems and fostering change within transdisciplinary contexts.

Specific Objectives

·         To deepen understanding of the current challenges related to the sustainability of food systems in general, and agroecosystems in particular.

·         To identify the main economic, social, and political factors that promote or hinder sustainable transition processes at both national and international levels.

·         To introduce the theoretical and practical foundations for promoting sustainable transitions in agroecosystems.

·         To introduce the theoretical and practical foundations for monitoring and evaluating sustainable transition processes and related public policies.

Rationale

The expansion of homogeneous landscapes generated by agricultural production has been a major driver of biodiversity loss, climate change, and land degradation. There is an urgent need to transition toward multifunctional landscapes capable of providing abundant and nutritious food while also delivering other essential contributions to quality of life. However, implementing this process requires appropriate economic studies and projections, the participation of multiple stakeholders, and the co-development of tools and capacities.

At the same time, it is necessary to recognize that changes in food production, distribution, and consumption systems involve multiple dimensions operating simultaneously across different spatial and temporal scales. Within the temporal dynamics of food systems, periods of slow and gradual change alternate with phases of rapid and profound transformation.

The mechanisms that condition the alternation between persistence and transformation in food systems can be analyzed to improve understanding of their structural and functional aspects. Connectivity and the exchange of different types of knowledge are essential for expanding capacities and enhancing the possibilities available to the actors involved (producers, technicians, academics, policymakers).

This type of analysis generally combines two major theoretical frameworks from the fields of socioecological systems and sociotechnical transitions. This combination makes it possible to understand previous trajectories of change, anticipate transformations, and design desired transitions.

Changes in agricultural practices toward more sustainable production systems are understood as the result of a collective learning process involving all actors engaged in the process of change, including researchers. This process is known as co-innovation, an approach that combines complex systems theory, social learning, and the dynamic monitoring and evaluation of projects in order to stimulate the strategic reorientation of productive systems.

In this context, we will discuss guidelines and foundations for carrying out sustainable transitions at different levels, grounded in scientific knowledge and in our professional experience.

Methodology

The course is structured into 3 modules and 17 thematic units, each consisting of 2 hours of lectures and discussion sessions, assigned bibliography readings, and a continuous assessment questionnaire.

Two in-person sessions will take place at the beginning and end of the course: on August 4 at the Faculty of Agronomy – Sayago facilities, and on October 1 at the Saras Institute in Bella Vista, Maldonado.

The remaining thematic units will be delivered virtually.

Assessment will be conducted by module, in addition to a final collective project.

Lecturers:

Cristina Zubriggen, Esteban Jobbágy, Gabriel Oyhantcabal, Guillermo Sena, José Paruelo, Lucas Garibaldi, Matilda Baraibar, Miguel Carriquiri, Miguel Sierra, Néstor Mazzeo, Pablo Tittonell, Paulo Petersen, Santiago Dogliotti, Tomás Milani, Walter Oyhantcabal, Federico Bizzozero, and Carolina Balian.

For more information and registration, visit:
https://transiciones-sostenibles.com/2026/05/25/curso-de-pos...