Description
Book SynopsisThis book focuses on understanding farming transition pathways towards sustainability, using case studies from Europe. It assesses the utility of the multi-level perspective in transition theory for addressing contemporary issues and identifies future research needs, making it an essential read for researchers of rural or agricultural change.
Trade ReviewThis book provides timely analysis of the multiple challenges facing European agriculture - - Exciting new insights are developed covering topics such as multifunctionaility, high nature value farming, energy production from farm crops and new forms of governance." Prof Guy Robinson, Director of the Centre for Regional Engagement, University of South Australia This book presents a rich, pan-European selection of cases assessed utilising the multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions. Based on this variety, it offers new conceptual terms for analysis, including 'niche-tandems', 'retro-innovation' and 'market hybridity'. The findings of this book thus present an important stepping stone for future research on transition strategies to make agriculture globally sustainable while preserving its local and regional richness. Dr Boelie Elzen, Science, Technology & Policy Studies (STəPS), University of Twente, the Netherlands.
Table of ContentsI: Contributors II: Glossary III: Acknowledgements 1: Introduction 2: Socio-technical transitions in farming: key concepts 3: Understanding the diversity of rural areas 4: Utilising the multi-level perspective in empirical field research:methodological considerations 5: Lifestyle farming: countryside consumption and transition towards new farming models 6: More than just a factor in transition processes? The role of collaboration in agriculture 7: High nature value farming: environmental practices for rural sustainability 8: Transition processes and natural resource management 9: On-farm renewable energy: a ‘classic case’ of technological transition 10: ‘The missing actor’: alternative agri-food networks and the resistance of key regime actors 11: Local quality and certification schemes as new forms of governance in sustainability transitions 12: Transdisciplinarity in deriving sustainability pathways for agriculture 13: Conceptual insights derived from case studies on ‘emerging transitions’ in farming 14: Conclusions
