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Prof. Dr. David Abson

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C11.125
Fon +49.4131.677-2539, david.abson@leuphana.de
Professor, Professorship of Sustainable Resource Use

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Vita

I am a problem centred interdisciplinary scientist working within the field of sustainability economics and sustainability science, with a particular emphasis on food system research. My primary research interests revolve around three broad interdisciplinary research areas:

1) The integration of economic, social and natural science perspectives on sustainability issues within the context of multifunctional agro-ecosystems (e.g. Abson et al. 2013; Abson et al. 2014a; Fischer et al. 2014, Loos et al 2014; von Wehrden et al. 2014). Here I seek to understand the ways in which different domains of knowledge conceptualise and operationalize sustainable agriculture and what tools, theories and approaches can act as effective interfaces for interdisciplinary research that acknowledges the tied socio-ecological nature of agro-ecosystems. 

2) The theory and operationalization of the concept of “ecosystems services”, with a particular focus on ecosystem service perception, valuation and the normative foundations of the concept (e.g. Abson and Termansen 2011; Abson and Hanspach 2013; Abson et al. 2014b; Brant et al. 2013; Gralla et al. 2014a; Milcu et al. 2013; Milcu et al. 2014). Here I seek to apply systemic approaches to conceptualizing and critiquing the ecosystem services framework as a means of understanding and managing the interdependencies between societies and their environments.

3) Systemic understanding and modelling of complex systems (e.g. Abson et al. 2013b; Mikulcak et al. 2015), including an interest in resilience thinking (e.g. Abson et al. 2012; Abson et al. 2013; Abson et al. 2017), transdisciplinary (e.g. Brant et al. 2014, Gralla et al. 2014b) and scenario modelling (e.g. Bateman et al. 2014a; Hanspach et al. 2016).

My research employs interdisciplinary research frameworks and methods ranging from biophysical (e.g. Bateman et al 2014b; O’Neill and Abson, 2009), economic (Abson et al. 2013; Abson et al 2014) and statistical (Abson et al. 2014a) modelling, landscape ecology (Hartel et al, 2014) and systems thinking. Spanning the broad research interests outlined above is a keen interest in the operationalization of complex (often heuristic) models into novel, nuanced real world sustainability problems and the challenge of considering spatial and temporal scale in empirical research. 

Academic Career

  • Since 2017: Professor of Sustainability Economics and Assessment
  • 2012-2017: PostDoc Position, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Faculity of Sustainability, Germany
  • 2007-2011: PhD student and post doctoral researcher, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, United Kingdom

Awards

  • 2023: ERC Consolidator Grant ("Mainstreaming Social-Ecological Sufficiency: Closing the sustainable consumption gap between societal demand and ecological limits”)

Projects

  1. Mainstreaming Social-Ecological Sufficiency: Closing the sustainable consumption gap between societal demand and ecological limits (ERC Consolidator Grant)
    David Abson (Project manager, academic)
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    Project: Research

  2. Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy: A Scenario Analysis for the Jimma Coffee Landscape in Ethiopia
    Joern Fischer (Project manager, academic) , David Abson (Project manager, academic) , Dula Wakassa Duguma (Project manager, academic) , Jannik Schultner (Project manager, academic) , Tolera Senbeto Jiren (Project staff) , Maria Brück (Project staff)
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    Project: Research

  3. Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge
    Jens Newig (Project manager, academic) , Joern Fischer (Project manager, academic) , Thomas Schomerus (Project manager, academic) , Henrik von Wehrden (Project manager, academic) , David Abson (Project manager, academic) , Ulli Vilsmaier (Project manager, academic) , Daniel J. Lang (Project manager, academic) , Annelie Sieveking (Project staff) , Kathleen Theresa Klaniecki (Project staff) , Christian Dorninger (Project staff) , Elizabeth Anne Clarke (Project staff) , Andra Ioana Horcea-Milcu (Project staff) , David Lam (Project staff) , Ioana Alexandra Patru-Duse (Project staff) , Nicolas Wilhelm Jager (Project staff) , Pim Derwort (Project staff) , Ioana Alexandra Patru-Duse (Project staff) , Cristina-Ioana Apetrei (Project staff) , Rebecca Claire Freeth (Project staff) , Moritz Engbers (Project staff) , Daniela Peukert (Project staff) , Anne Jo Berkau (Project staff) , Lotte Marie Lutz (Coordination) , Julia Leventon (Project manager, academic)
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    Project: Research

View all projects

Publications

Books and anthologies

  1. Harmonising biodiversity conservation and food security in southwestern Ethiopia
    Aisa O. Manlosa (Author) , Patrícia Rodrigues (Author) , Kristoffer Hylander (Author) , Ine Dorresteijn (Author) , Milena Mausbach (Author) , David Abson (Author) , Feyera Senbeta (Author) , Joern Fischer (Author) , Girma Shumi (Author) , Jannik Schultner (Author) , Jan Hanspach (Author) , Tolera Senbeto Jiren (Author) , 2020 1 ed. Sofia , 166 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Book › Research

  2. Sustainable Landscapes in Central Romania: A social-ecological study on the future of Southern Transylvania
    David Abson (Author) , Joern Fischer (Author) , Jacqueline Loos (Author) , Ine Dorresteijn (Author) , Jan Hanspach (Author) , Tibor Hartel (Author) , Andra Ioana Horcea-Milcu (Author) , Friederike Mikulcak (Author) , 2016 Sofia , 99 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Transfer

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Journal contributions

  1. Reconceptualizing the role of socioeconomic material stocks in the leverage points framework to enable transformative change
    Willi Haas (Author) , David Abson (Author) , Helmut Haberl (Author) , Nathalie Spittler (Author) , Dominik Wiedenhofer (Author) , Christian Dorninger (Author) , 01.01.2026 , in: Ecological Economics, 239 , 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  2. Mapping the intersection of planetary boundaries and environmentally extended input-output analysis: A systematic literature review
    María Fernanda Godoy León (Author) , Alison Bankert (Author) , Diego Torralva Becerra (Author) , David Abson (Author) , 01.06.2025 , in: Sustainable Production and Consumption, 56 , p. 546-560 , 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research

  3. Revisiting the sustainability science research agenda
    Mesfin Sahle (Author) , Shruti Ashish Lahoti (Author) , So Young Lee (Author) , Katja Brundiers (Author) , Carena J. van Riper (Author) , Christian Pohl (Author) , Herlin Chien (Author) , Iris C. Bohnet (Author) , Noé Aguilar-Rivera (Author) , Peter Edwards (Author) , Prajal Pradhan (Author) , Tobias Plieninger (Author) , Wiebren Johannes Boonstra (Author) , Alexander G. Flor (Author) , Annamaria Di Fabio (Author) , Arnim Scheidel (Author) , Chris Gordon (Author) , David Abson (Author) , Erik Andersson (Author) , Federico Demaria (Author) , Jasper O. Kenter (Author) , Jeremy Brooks (Author) , Joanne Kauffman (Author) , Maike Hamann (Author) , Martin Graziano (Author) , Nidhi Nagabhatla (Author) , Nobuo Mimura (Author) , Nora Fagerholm (Author) , Patrick O’Farrell (Author) , Osamu Saito (Author) , Kazuhiko Takeuchi (Author) , 01.01.2025 , in: Sustainability Science, 20, 1 , p. 1-19 , 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research

  4. Land use intensification causes the spatial contraction of woody-plant based ecosystem services in southwestern Ethiopia
    Dula Wakassa Duguma (Author) , Elizabeth Law (Author) , Jannik Schultner (Author) , David Abson (Author) , Joern Fischer (Author) , Girma Shumi (Author) , 01.12.2024 , in: Communications Earth and Environment, 5, 1 , 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  5. A social-ecological approach to support equitable land use decision-making
    Felipe Benra (Author) , Dula Wakassa Duguma (Author) , Joern Fischer (Author) , Elizabeth A. Law (Author) , Manuel Pacheco Romero (Author) , David Abson (Author) , Maria Brück (Author) , Tolera Senbeto Jiren (Author) , Jannik Schultner (Author) , 01.12.2024 , in: Ambio, 53, 12 , p. 1752-1767 , 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

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Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. The resilience of Australian agricultural landscapes characterised by land-sparing versus land-sharing
    David Abson (Author) , Kate Sherren (Author) , Joern Fischer (Author) , 01.05.2019 Cambrige , p. 232-252 , 21 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

  2. The economic drivers and consequences of agricultural specialization
    David Abson (Author) , 01.01.2018 , p. 301-315 , 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review

  3. Sustainability and Ecosystems
    Henrik von Wehrden (Author) , Goddert von Oheimb (Author) , David Abson (Author) , Werner Härdtle (Author) , 01.01.2016 Dordrecht , p. 61-70 , 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Chapter › Research › peer-review

  4. The economic value of soil carbon
    Unai Pascual (Author) , Mette Termansen (Author) , David Abson (Author) , 01.01.2015 Wallingford , p. 179-187 , 9 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review

  5. Valuation approaches for soil carbon
    David Abson (Author) , Unai Pascual (Author) , Mette Termansen (Author) , 01.01.2015 Wallingford , p. 214-223 , 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review

View all publications

Activities

  1. From pushing levers to dancing with the system: Rethinking transformation for sustainability through metaphor
    David Abson (Speaker) , Elizabeth Anne Clarke (Speaker) , Guido Caniglia (Speaker) , Daniel J. Lang (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

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Press / Media

Courses

Colloquium Social-ecological system research
David Abson, Joern Fischer, Berta Martín-López
Das Kolloquium wird inhaltlich verschiedene Methoden, Ansätze und Ergebnisse sozial-ökologischer Forschung behandeln und unterschiedliche Formate anbieten: Studierende präsentieren ihre Forschungsvorhaben und/ oder Ergebnisse, die dann mit den Betreuuenden und anderen Forschern diskutiert werden können
Next appointment:
Thursday, 2026-10-15 at 14:15
Room: C 11.319 Seminarraum
Fundamentals of Sustainability Economics
David Abson, Olivia Hinz
Economics plays a crucial role in how humans understand and manage their interactions with the natural world. It can be argued that our current economic system (and the values and mind-sets that shape that system) are one of the root causes of humanity’s current unsustainable development trajectory. In this seminar we will explore, the underpinning assumptions of neo-classical economic (the dominant school of economic thought) and contrast this approach with ideas drawn from resource, ecological and steady state economics. Each of these schools of thought will be related to the notion of sustainability with the emphasis on what economics can tell us about both sustainability problems and sustainability solutions.
The course will draw on topics ranging from the limits to economic growth, the ethics of placing monetary values on nature, strong versus weak sustainability, the economics of climate change, and notions of justice in relation to the allocation of economic resources.
Next appointment:
Monday, 2026-10-12 at 14:15
Room: C 25.019 Seminarraum
Masterforum SEBS
David Abson, Victoria Temperton
This is the Master Forum for SEBS students in the Sustainability Master. It consists of two longer sessions in class, with alternating presence of the two lecturers. During these two sessions we will be discussing the exposes that have been uploaded to MyStudy.
The first session will be on earlier on in the semester (date to be still decided) from14.15 to 17.45 in 11 320 with Vicky Temperton, and the second on later on in the winter semester (tbd), also from 12.15 until 17.45, with Dave Abson in C7 019. Rooms may change- this will be updated closer to the time.
Between these dates students are expected to make appointments with their direct supervisors to discuss their thesis ideas and plans.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-11-04 at 14:15
Room:
Sustainability and Space
David Abson, Wies Dijkstra
The course will explore how space shapes understandings of sustainability, with a focus on: scale and sustainability; system boundaries and sustainability and spatial relations and sustainability. The course will draw on multiple perspectives on space from the natural and social sciences, and places a particular emphasis on appropriate scales for conceptualizing and managing sustainability in relation to equitable outcomes.

In addition to general discussions on space and sustainability there will be 4 in depth case studies looking at important approaches within sustainability science (landscape sustainability science (Wu, 2013); Ecologically unequal exchange (Hornborg, 1998); Socio-technical transitions (Geels, 2011) and Social-ecological systems (Ostrom, 2009)) and how they conceptualize space in relation to sustainability.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-10-14 at 12:15
Room: C 25.021 Seminarraum