We are pleased to announce that the article “Towards a Safe and Just Operating Space for European Agriculture” has been accepted for publication in Q Open and is now available as an open-access accepted manuscript.
Citation
Müller, M., Guyomard, H., van Meijl, H., Détang-Dessendre, C., Bardazzi, E., van Dijk, M., Sckokai, P., Stehfest, E., Krüger, C., Čechura, L., de Jong, B., & M’Barek, R. (2025). Towards a Safe and Just Operating Space for European Agriculture. Q Open. https://doi.org/10.1093/qopen/qoaf026
About the Study
European agriculture faces the dual challenge of remaining economically viable while operating within planetary boundaries and supporting social wellbeing. This study presents the first Safe and Just Operating Space (SJOS) monitoring framework tailored specifically to European agriculture.
The authors adapt global SJOS concepts to the European Union context, aligning them with key EU strategies including the European Green Deal and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The framework identifies more than 30 indicator domains across 12 thematic areas, covering environmental, social, and economic dimensions of agricultural sustainability.
Key Contributions
- EU-specific SJOS framework linking global environmental limits and social foundations to EU agricultural objectives
- Indicator system co-developed with modelling teams and external experts for practical use in simulation tools
- Identification of critical gaps in current modelling capacities, including biodiversity and animal welfare
- Support for scenario analysis, helping assess trade-offs and synergies between policy goals
This work provides a robust foundation for monitoring Europe’s agricultural sustainability transition, ensuring future farming landscapes are aligned with both planetary boundaries and social needs.
Open Access
The manuscript is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), supporting broad dissemination and reuse.
👉 Access the accepted manuscript: https://doi.org/10.1093/qopen/qoaf026
Source: WSER
