Abstract Socio-economic metabolism (SEM) occupies a central place in the study of agri-food systems. While researchers are asked to address growing environmental and social issues, the link between theoretical choices of representation and action is rarely discussed as such. We propose a cross-sectional analysis between the way SEM is described and how researchers propose to act, based on a literature concerned with agri-food systems. We distinguish the metabolism representations based on funds, flows and stocks, scales and levels, as well as socio-economic analysis. Action is seen through the operational goals pursued by the researchers, the action-research interfaces in which they engage, and the partners with whom they interact. We identified eight schools of thought related to three different types of representations: (1) space and compartment-based representations; (2) economic agent-based representations; and (3) multi-faceted and composite representations. We show that metabolism representations and action are deeply intertwined. The analysis of the biophysical basis of society is neither independent of normative claims regarding how this basis should evolve, nor of the means to get there. We then discuss the consequences of this fact on the choices of representation of metabolism and particularly the interest of anchoring SEM in pragmatism.

中文翻译：

---

社会经济代谢表征及其与行动的联系的回顾：农业食品研究案例


摘要 社会经济代谢（SEM）在农业食品系统研究中占据中心地位。尽管研究人员被要求解决日益增长的环境和社会问题，但代表性和行动的理论选择之间的联系却很少被讨论。基于有关农业食品系统的文献，我们建议对 SEM 的描述方式和研究人员建议的行动方式进行横断面分析。我们根据资金、流量和存量、规模和水平以及社会经济分析来区分新陈代谢的表示。行动是通过研究人员追求的操作目标、他们参与的行动研究界面以及与他们互动的合作伙伴来看待的。我们确定了与三种不同类型的表征相关的八个思想流派：（1）基于空间和隔间的表征； (2) 基于经济代理的陈述； (3)多面、复合的表征。我们表明，新陈代谢的表征和行动是紧密相连的。对社会生物物理基础的分析既不独立于关于该基础应如何演变的规范主张，也不独立于实现这一基础的手段。然后我们讨论这一事实对新陈代谢表征选择的影响，特别是在实用主义中锚定 SEM 的兴趣。