Thomas Slijper

My research focuses on understanding how farmers navigate challenges in a rapidly changing agricultural landscape. I conceptualise, operationalise, and assess the resilience of farms and food systems. I combine insights from various disciplines—including agricultural economics, risk research, resilience thinking, and sustainability science—and collaborate interdisciplinary in ongoing projects. In my research, I apply a range of methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, including semi-structured interviews, co-creation approaches, focus groups, multivariate statistics, and econometrics.

Projects:

2024-2026: FORMAS – The economic potential of AgroEcological farming practices in times of severe climatic and economic disruptions. PI: Pia Nilsson. I am co-applicant. Budget: 5,996,345 SEK. https://www.vr.se/english/swecris.html#/project/2023-02530_Formas 

2021-2025: FORMAS – SustAnimal: collaborative research centre exploring the future role of livestock in sustainable and competitive Swedish food production systems. http://sustainimal.se/ 

Thomas teaches at bachelor, master, and PhD level. Thomas is involved in the following courses:

• Datasets in Agricultural Economics (PhD course, 5 ECTS, coordinator)
• Topics in agricultural economics for sustainable development (master course, 7.5 ECTS, teacher)
• Analysis of productivity and efficiency of food system firms (master course, 7.5 ECTS, teacher)
• Economic perspectives on agriculture and the environment (bachelor course, 7.5 ECTS, teacher)
• Supervisor of bachelor and master student theses.

Thomas acts as a co-supervisor for PhD students and supervises bachelor and master student theses. 

Peer-reviewed journal articles
Slijper, T., A.F. Tensi, F. Ang, B. Ali, H.J. van der Fels–Klerx (2023). Investigating the relationship between knowledge and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices: The case of Dutch arable farmers. Journal of Cleaner Production 417: 138011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138011  

Fadillah, A., van den Borne, B. H., Poetri, O. N., Hogeveen, H., Slijper, T., Pisestyani, H., & Schukken, Y. H. (2023). Evaluation of factors associated with bulk milk somatic cell count and total plate count in Indonesian smallholder dairy farms. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10, 1280264. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1280264

Niyonsaba, H.H., J. Höhler, H.J. van der Fels–Klerx, T. Slijper, F. Alleweldt, S. Kara, R. Zanoli, A.I.A. Costa, M. Peters, M.P.M. Meuwissen (2023). Barriers, risks and risk management strategies in European insect supply chains. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 9 (6): 691-705. https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2022.0100 

Slijper, T., Y. de Mey, P.M. Poortvliet, M.P.M. Meuwissen (2022). Quantifying the resilience of European farms using FADN. European Review of Agricultural Economics 49(1) 121-150. https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbab042 

Slijper, T., J. Urquhart, P. M. Poortvliet, B. Soriano, M.P.M. Meuwissen (2022). Exploring how social capital and learning are related to the resilience of Dutch arable farmers. Agricultural Systems 198: 103385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103385

Meuwissen, M. P. M., P.H. Feindt, T. Slijper, A. Spiegel et al. (2021). Impact of Covid-19 on farming systems in Europe through the lens of resilience thinking. Agricultural Systems 191: 103152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103152

Spiegel, A., T. Slijper, Y. de Mey, M.P.M. Meuwissen et al. (2021). Resilience capacities as perceived by European farmers. Agricultural Systems. 193: 103224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103224

Slijper, T. (2020). Resilience, Labour and Migration Trends in the EU‐27. EuroChoices 19(2): 28-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-692x.12281

Slijper, T., Y. de Mey, P.M. Poortvliet, M.P.M. Meuwissen (2020). From risk behavior to perceived farm resilience: A Dutch case study. Ecology and Society 25(4). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-11893-250410

Spiegel, A., B. Soriano, Y. de Mey, T. Slijper, J. Urquhart, I. Bardaji, M. Vigani, S. Severini, and M.P.M. Meuwissen (2020). Risk Management and its Role in Enhancing Perceived Resilience Capacities of Farms and Farming Systems in Europe. EuroChoices 19(2): 45-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-692X.12284

Meuwissen, M.P.M., P.H. Feindt, A. Spiegel, C.J.A.M. Termeer, E. Mathijs, Y. de Mey, R. Finger, A. Balmann, E. Wauters, J. Urquhart, M. Vigani, K. Zawalińska, H. Herrera, P. Nicholas-Davies, H. Hansson, W. Paas, T. Slijper, I. Coopmans, W. Vroege, F. Accatino, B. Kopainsky, P. M. Poortvliet, J.J.L. Candel, D. Maye, S. Severini, S. Senni, B. Soriano, C.-J. Lagerkvist, M. Peneva, C. Gavrilescu, P. Reidsma (2019). A framework to assess the resilience of farming systems. Agricultural Systems 176: 102656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102656

Book chapters

Finger, R., W. Vroege, A. Spiegel, Y. de Mey, T. Slijper, P.M. Poortvliet, J. Urquhart, M. Vigani, P. Nicholas-Davies, B. Soriano, A. Garrido, S. Severini, M.P.M. Meuwissen (2022). The importance of improving and enlarging the scope of risk management to enhance resilience in European agriculture. In Meuwissen, M.P.M., P.H. Feindt, A. Garrido, E. Mathijs, B. Soriano, J. Urquhart, A. Spiegel. (eds), Resilient and Sustainable Farming Systems in Europe: Exploring Diversity and Pathways (pp. 18-37). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009093569.003

Soriano, B., I. Bardají, Y. Buitenhuis, D. Bertolozzi-Caredio, J. Candel, P. H. Feindt, M.P.M. Meuwissen, W. Paas, P. Reidsma, C. San Martín, T. Slijper, A. Spiegel, A. Garrido (2022). Lessons learned from a multi-scale co-creation approach: Virtual co-creation platform and real life focus groups. In Meuwissen, M.P.M., P.H. Feindt, A. Garrido, E. Mathijs, B. Soriano, J. Urquhart, A. Spiegel. (eds), Resilient and Sustainable Farming Systems in Europe: Exploring Diversity and Pathways (pp. 321-341). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009093569.020

Spiegel, A., P. Reidsma, Y. Buitenhuis, T. Slijper, W. Paas, Y. de Mey, P.H. Feindt, J. Candel, P.M. Poortvliet, M.P.M Meuwissen (2022). Realising transformation in response to future challenges. In Meuwissen, M.P.M., P.H. Feindt, A. Garrido, E. Mathijs, B. Soriano, J. Urquhart, A. Spiegel. (eds), Resilient and Sustainable Farming Systems in Europe: Exploring Diversity and Pathways (pp. 201-214). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009093569.013

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