In Western Europe, circular agriculture has been recommended as a production model to address the multiple environmental problems caused by input-intensive agriculture. Accordingly, the topic of circularity in agriculture and food systems is growing in university programs across Europe. Immersive educational activities are needed to promote experiential learning and development of the soft skills required to learn about the complex issues related to transitioning to more circular systems. Here, we present the approach we used to develop and apply CircAgri, an educational serious game that aims at engaging students in how to implement circularity in an agricultural region. This role-playing game consists of iteratively adjusting individual activities, in particular those related to production, the resulting biomass flows, and collective organization, especially the circulation of biomass flows in the region. Players monitor the effects of their decisions on circularity at individual and regional levels. We tested CircAgri with 136 Master's students and 38 researchers and describe the results of 20 game plays (with 104 Master's students and 1 researcher). We show how the players adapted their strategies over successive game rounds to decrease the types and amounts of biomass imported into and exported from the region, and then reflected on circularity issues. CircAgri is an original serious game that teaches circularity in agriculture through an immersive experience. It stimulates learning about circularity through trial and error and reflection on effects on and potential trade-offs of individual and collective biomass management strategies. It also allows developing some of the soft skills required to implement circularity (e.g. negotiation, active listening). CircAgri is freely available in a print-and-play version and can be combined with other teaching methods to develop students' knowledge and competencies on circularity in university programs on agriculture and the environment. The approach followed in developing CircAgri is replicable on any other challenge involving multiple stakeholders to design serious games aiming at actively engaging students in working with and reflecting on sustainability. The game design process can also be used to reflect on key mechanisms and skills required to move towards more sustainable and circular agricultural systems. • CircAgri is an educational role-playing game to experience circularity in agriculture. • Objectives related to content knowledge and competencies linked to circularity are defined. • Students implemented a variety of strategies to change their production activities. • They discovered trade-offs between individual activities and collective organization. • Students' learning stimulation confirmed the potential for education to sustainability.
Grillot et al. (Fri,) studied this question.