Using The Leverage

Using the Leverage

For Step 7 of the Chips exampleDifferentiate the different directions of change possible at the leverage points you have identified. List the actions and consequences in the table.

Consequences Leverage point Consequences
No overuse of agricultural land/ resources

● limited yields

● stable or declining production

● natural soils

● recovering soil biodiversity

● good quality of ground water

● …

 

 

 

Risk of over-use

 

 

Overuse of agricultural land/ resources

● short term increase of yields

● in the long run (permanent) degradation of soils, reduced yields necessitating increased investments in agrochemicals

● water shortage

● contamination of groundwater due to agrochemical overloads

● competition between potato and other food production on valuable agricultural land

● …

Desire for chips
High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of potatoes
Genetically Modified (GM) potato
 
 
 
 

For Step 7 the Jeans exampleDifferentiate the different directions of change possible at the leverage points you have identified. List the actions and consequences in the table.

Consequences Leverage point Consequences
No overuse of agricultural land

● limited yields

● stable or declining production

● natural soils

● recovering soil biodiversity

● good quality of ground water

● …

 

 

Risk of over-use Overuse of agricultural land

● short term increase of yields

● on the long run (permanent) degradation of soils and therefore need for higher investments in agrochemicals

● water shortage

● contamination of groundwater due to agrochemical overloads

● competition between potato and other food production on the usable agricultural land

● …

Land resources used for cotton cultivation
Quantity of production of metal zips

(Using metal from mines or introducing a new system element of sourcing recycled metals from mining waste landfills)

Soil degradation management
Desire for jeans

“Ethical jeans” (e.g., made from organic cotton and recycled metal) or “regular jeans” or even a preference for unbranded plain cotton trousers)