System Dynamics for Food System Transformation: Guest Lecture by Birgit Kopainsky at ZALF
On October 10, 2025, Professor Birgit Kopainsky, delivered an insightful guest lecture at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research on using System Dynamics to study food system challenges in an ever-changing world.
By: Lukas Bayer
Published:
Through PhD candidate Lukas Bayer, the System Dynamics Group is collaborating with the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research ZALF (external link) in Germany. As part of this collaboration, Birgit Kopainsky was invited to ZALF to give a guest lecture about system dynamics and food systems research.
During the guest lecture, Birgit Kopainsky presented three case studies illustrating how to use System Dynamics in food system research: an endogenous modeling framework of dietary behavioral change (based on ongoing work in the WorldTrans project), resilience of food systems to climate change, and an analysis of food provision and environmental goals in the Swiss agri-food system.
A key strength of System Dynamics lies in its ability to reveal how structure drives behavior in complex systems, helping identify tipping points and leverage points for intervention. "There are no simple solutions for complex problems," Professor Kopainsky emphasized, highlighting the importance of integrated and systems thinking that challenges assumptions and creates enabling conditions for sustainability to emerge. The lecture showcased System Dynamics as both an analytical tool and a participatory process, demonstrating proven effectiveness in improving communication, learning, consensus-building, and commitment among stakeholders.