Designing with non-humans for agricultural systems transformation: An interdisciplinary review and framework for reflection

In response to growing concern over agriculture's contribution to climate and ecological crises, recent definitions of sustainable food systems have expanded beyond productivity to emphasize interconnected ecological and social dimensions. Responding to this challenge, agricultural system design scholars have moved beyond a focus on merely increasing productivity, supply, and profitability, to include goals such as animal welfare and ecological health. However, this selection often fails to move beyond anthropocentric needs and values. For design to be transformative, addressing who can participate in design and how participating actors relate to each other is critical. Notably, non-humans, which are foundational to agricultural systems, are largely overlooked as actors to be involved in design processes.