The ENFASYS MOOC is a free, fully online course designed to help learners better understand how sustainability transformations happen in complex agri-food systems.
Developed within the Horizon Europe ENFASYS project, the course brings together systems thinking, behavioural science, policy design, and participatory approaches to provide practical and accessible learning for a broad audience.
Agricultural and food systems face interconnected challenges linked to climate change, biodiversity loss, governance, economic pressures, and social dynamics. Addressing these challenges requires more than isolated solutions — it requires the ability to think systemically, understand interactions across scales, and design interventions that support meaningful change.
The ENFASYS MOOC translates four years of interdisciplinary research into an accessible learning experience that combines theory, practical tools, and real-world examples from across Europe.
- Fully online
- Self-paced learning
- Free access
- Approximate workload: 20–35 hours
- Flexible completion pathway
- Certificate of Completion available upon successful completion of the course requirements
The course includes:
- Short video lectures and knowledge clips
- Readings and additional learning resources
- Optional exercises and reflection activities
- Self-assessment quizzes
- Optional peer discussion forums hosted on Moodle
The ENFASYS MOOC is designed for a broad audience interested in sustainability transitions in agri-food systems, including:
- MSc and PhD students
- Early-career researchers
- Policymakers and advisors
- Sustainability practitioners
- Rural development professionals
- Stakeholders working in food systems, agriculture, governance, and sustainability
No prior knowledge of systems thinking, modelling, or behavioural science is required.
Module 1 – A Systemic Approach to Agri-Food Systems
Led by Philippe Baret and Louis Tessier
This introductory module explores the foundations of systems thinking and explains how systemic approaches can help analyse and support change in agricultural and food systems. Participants learn about feedback loops, interconnections, emergence, lock-ins, interdisciplinarity, and systems transformation.
Module 2 – Systems Mapping Tools
Led by Fleur Marchand, Giovanna Ottaviani Aalmo, Divina Gracia Rodriguez, and Clémentine Antier
This module introduces practical systems mapping tools such as causal loop diagrams and value network maps. Participants learn how to visualise complexity, analyse relationships between actors, identify leverage points, and reflect on pathways for targeted change.
Module 3 – Behavioural Science & Economic Insights for Intervention Design
Led by Erwin Wauters, Matteo Masotti, and Niall Hammond
This module focuses on how producers and consumers make decisions in agri-food systems. It introduces behavioural and economic perspectives to better understand decision-making processes and explores how these insights can support intervention and policy design.
Module 4 – Behavioural System Dynamics Models for Sustainable Farming System Transitions
Led by Filippo Pini and Arianna Dell’Olio
Participants explore how behavioural evidence can be integrated into System Dynamics Models to better understand sustainability transitions over time. The module explains how behavioural, economic, and institutional influences shape farming systems and policy pathways.
Module 5 – Designing Policies that Work
Led by Elisabeth Stumvoll
This module examines how public policies and policy mixes can support sustainability transitions rather than reinforce systemic lock-ins. Participants explore policy design, policy coherence, feasibility, co-design approaches, and the role of governance in agri-food transformation.
Module 6 – Systems Co-Design for Transformations Across Scales
Led by Elsa Dingkuhn and Domenico Dentoni
The final module focuses on participatory systems mapping and collaborative approaches to systems transformation. It explores how shared understanding, stakeholder engagement, co-design, and collective experimentation can support real-world sustainability transitions across actors and scales.
Want to explore the course in more detail?
The full ENFASYS MOOC syllabus includes:
- Detailed module and unit descriptions
- Learning outcomes
- Teaching approach and workload
- Assessment and certificate information
- Full speaker biographies and contributor information