Five paradoxes navigated by incumbent private sector firms moving towards climate-oriented innovation in food systems DOI Creative Commons

Leanne Zeppenfeldt,

Dhanush Dinesh, Sietze Vellema

et al.

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8

Published: Oct. 9, 2024

The role of large private sector firms in rerouting our food systems towards sustainability through climate-oriented innovation is highly contested. contestation has resulted a portrayal academic literature these incumbents as either the key driver transitions or fundamentally contradictory to addressing climate change systems. Controversies and tensions can reinforce stalemates, which hamper progress innovation. This study explores utility paradox lens shifts research gaze emergence unavoidable persistent encounters distinct logics lines action, opens space examine how nevertheless be used productively creatively overcoming stalemates. Based on reflexive practice interviews with professionals from seven purposefully selected incumbent agri-food sector, we identify five paradoxes: direction—between mitigation adaptation; justification—between exploration exploitation; internal alignment—between mainstreaming specialization; external collaboration competition; evidence—between accountability learning. Our analysis navigate paradoxes focuses considerations, tensions, decisions organizing In discussion, whether paradoxical thinking enables civil society practitioners accelerate interactions collaborations sector. We conclude that affords researchers, practitioners, policymakers move beyond binary view incumbents’ innovation, instead provides strategic insights for engaging their inherent contradictions transforming under changing climate.

Language: Английский

Home field advantage: examining incumbency reorientation dynamics in low-carbon transitions DOI Creative Commons
Sophie-Marie Ertelt, Johan Kask

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 50, P. 100802 - 100802

Published: Jan. 9, 2024

Recent work has offered a more nuanced view of incumbent actors' roles in transitions, yet comprehensive understanding how reorientation activities and subsequent interaction patterns among different actor types shape the direction system reconfigurations remains underexplored. This paper proposes framework for empirically assessing relational dynamics response to low-carbon transitions conceptualises nature their interaction. Through case study transition road freight transport Sweden, we examine dynamics, e.g., coalitions, competition, contestations, can facilitate hinder by creating regime tensions. Our highlights that incumbency reorientations are multi-dimensional, with involvement strategies varying, leading divergent positions role constellations as actors attempt reconfigure focal regime. Extending beyond Swedish case, five avenues future research outlined.

Language: Английский

Citations

4
From farm to table: uncovering narratives of agency and responsibility for change among actors along agri-food value chains in Germany DOI Creative Commons
Veronica Hector, Jonathan Friedrich, Michael P. Schlaile

et al.

Agriculture and Human Values, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 13, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Institutional work and social skill: the formation of strategic action fields for local energy systems in Britain DOI Creative Commons
Jess Britton, Janette Webb

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 50, P. 100789 - 100789

Published: Dec. 1, 2023

The concept of Strategic Action Fields (SAF) is combined with analysis institutional work to investigate the tactics actors adopt support or deter policy for integrated local energy systems. Integrating heat, power, and mobility systems at regional scale would entail highly significant changes in yet an area increasing interest. We explore how this field being constituted differently across devolved jurisdictions Great Britain, but faces similar challenges. obduracy legacy centralised institutions a powerful force blocking new sustainable SAFs, Government retaining countervailing power. Additionally we demonstrate overlaps between domains can obstruct formation rule structures; notably emerging planning rules are constrained by wider limitations governance powers. These findings raise questions about whether net zero happen, what form, under current multi-level structures.

Language: Английский

Citations

7
Motivations, changes and challenges of participating in food-related social innovations and their transformative potential: three cases from Berlin (Germany) DOI Creative Commons
Felix Zoll,

Alexandra Harder,

Lerato Nyaradzo Manatsa

et al.

Agriculture and Human Values, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 24, 2024

Abstract Dominant agri-food systems are increasingly seen as unsustainable in terms of environmental degradation, mass production or high food waste. In an attempt to counteract these developments and foster sustainability transitions systems, a variety actors engaging socially innovative models consumption. Using multiple case study approach, our examines three contrasting alternative economic the city Berlin: community gardens, app Too Good To Go (TGTG), cooperative supermarket. Based on 15 qualitative interviews, we provide insights into their transformative potential by exploring participants' underlying motivations, changes they have experienced, challenges for future development models. We find that participation gardens supermarket is similarly motivated social aspects dissatisfaction with existing access options, while TGTG users more financial reasons. Our shows change experienced mainly at individual level, e.g. building new relationships, changing cognitive framings, learning (new) practices, especially community-oriented settings. The individualization rather low lead systemic accounts changes. Yet, can prefigure regime change, describe resistance, cumulative incremental may spill over society. conclude order sustain this role drive transitions, it important up- outscale models; recommendations how mutually support development, establishment, protection.

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Sustainability Transitions in German Livestock Farming: The Role of Innovations, Incumbents, and Imagined Futures DOI Creative Commons
Jonathan Friedrich

Published: Jan. 1, 2023

Environmental degradation, climate change, and issues of social justice highlight the need to develop transition more sustainable modes production, consumption, living. Livestock farming in Germany is a sector that concerned transition, being characterized by multitude socio-ecological both discursive legislative pressure change. While this marked persistent mechanisms culture practices, bioeconomic innovation actors are developing innovations may contribute sustainability-oriented transitions sector. This context presents possibility observe making. Against backdrop, dissertation, I aim at understanding mechanisms, actors, processes currently unfolding livestock focus on innovations, incumbents, imagined futures. operationalize via four complementary qualitative case studies, focusing (i) contesting imaginations manure futures how these shape trajectories farming, (ii) role contributing toward (iii) as shaped technological fixes, last, (iv) farmers incumbents embedded existing regime their in/ability drive institutional changes. My empirical results show three different transitions, namely preservation, modernization, transformation. These Bioeconomic intensive system imaginaries follow classical paradigms, have rather low ability reconfiguring beyond actor-technology configurations. On contrary, they accompanied expectations, attract capital investments, which pose risk “colonizing” future through sunken costs extra-semiotic inscription material physical infrastructures. Farmers very stable systems, externalize locale experience agency for Transitions thus mainly visible changes configuration result adoption driven exogenous such NGOs political-legislative (e.g., EU’s nitrate directive German fertilizer ordinance) semiotic space. lack capacity imagine real alternatives navigate themselves. In addition results, my dissertation elucidates important sustainability transitions. Imagined not only provide spirit but also same time diagnosis present problem(s) individuals collectives regard Without alternative futures, reconfigure limited. Actors with material-semiotic relationships often reductionist problem frames issues, while complex frames. order be able act purposefully despite complexity uncertainty, relations rely frames, established inscribed forms change or conceptions no Relying cognitive path dependencies colonization future. The underlying underscores avoid phenomena appearing, it great importance integrate actors’ views problems, e.g., means transdisciplinary research projects. Here, can discuss normative orientations, conflicting views, meaningful current system. support new design implemented, could help navigating experiencing moment Based synthesis theoretical contributions research, sketches avenues an in-depth govern these. conclude systems allow exchange knowledge contacts bring perspectives systems. achieve these, genuine limited because, without cultural imaginative input, will merely reproduce itself. processes, must treated arena imaginations, ontologies, transformative imaginations. To reproducing reinforcing power hegemonies structure deliberative challenged adaptive plural accordingly just transformations beyond.

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Facilitating unlearning in agricultural education: preparing for family-farm succession DOI Creative Commons
Laura van Oers, Giuseppe Feola, Ellen H.M. Moors

et al.

The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 23

Published: Aug. 7, 2024

Purpose This paper seeks to explore the manner in which secondary vocational education agriculture can facilitate unlearning among young farmers. In this context, 'unlearning' means deliberately letting go of mindsets, practices, and routines that are no longer fit for purpose.

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Keeping up with the decarbonization: Conceptualizing and investigating incumbents’ responses to transition pressures in the post-Paris world DOI Creative Commons
Ella Tolonen

Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 476, P. 143520 - 143520

Published: Aug. 30, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Five paradoxes navigated by incumbent private sector firms moving towards climate-oriented innovation in food systems DOI Creative Commons

Leanne Zeppenfeldt,

Dhanush Dinesh, Sietze Vellema

et al.

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8

Published: Oct. 9, 2024

The role of large private sector firms in rerouting our food systems towards sustainability through climate-oriented innovation is highly contested. contestation has resulted a portrayal academic literature these incumbents as either the key driver transitions or fundamentally contradictory to addressing climate change systems. Controversies and tensions can reinforce stalemates, which hamper progress innovation. This study explores utility paradox lens shifts research gaze emergence unavoidable persistent encounters distinct logics lines action, opens space examine how nevertheless be used productively creatively overcoming stalemates. Based on reflexive practice interviews with professionals from seven purposefully selected incumbent agri-food sector, we identify five paradoxes: direction—between mitigation adaptation; justification—between exploration exploitation; internal alignment—between mainstreaming specialization; external collaboration competition; evidence—between accountability learning. Our analysis navigate paradoxes focuses considerations, tensions, decisions organizing In discussion, whether paradoxical thinking enables civil society practitioners accelerate interactions collaborations sector. We conclude that affords researchers, practitioners, policymakers move beyond binary view incumbents’ innovation, instead provides strategic insights for engaging their inherent contradictions transforming under changing climate.

Language: Английский

Citations

0