This lecture considers the complexity of challenges of the agricultural transition from the perspective of farmers, who act at the intersection between the ecology, economy and policy. The lecture will start by providing an overview on the resource requirements for our global production chains of life stock and meat, grain and legume farming and say some words on the human diet, and food and feed conversion efficiency of energy-intake through food. This lecture also places a fresh emphasis on the development of local knowledge and locally specific arming and nutrition practices that are adapted to local environments, as a necessary complement to agricultural science striving to make universal claims. This leads on to basic insights on needs for knowledge production in agriculture, and merits and limitations of action research and engaged research, raising questions on how farmers, scientists and citizens might better collaborate to inform choices in food production and consumption. For the future there are some indications on a new trend on new more decentralised governance of the food system including citizen’s involvement in French organic certification and Community based Auditing and citizens science in communities in Australia to work with farmers on reducing environmental impacts and address ensuing trade-offs for farmers as a community.