Enhancing the social acceptability of sustainability transitions through governance : lessons learned from England’s post-Brexit agricultural sustainability transition

Sustainability transitions are assumed to be one of the key solutions to society’s grand challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, and growing inequality. This assumption has led to multiple international commitments to realize sustainability transitions, including the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. However, attempts to implement sustainability transitions often lack social acceptability and are confronted with societal protest. Despite a rich body of literature around the dynamics of sustainability transitions, there exists a knowledge gap on how to address this lack of social acceptability through governance. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap with insights from a critical case study of England’s post-Brexit agricultural sustainability transition. The main pillar of this sustainability transition is a shift from direct payments to farmers based on the amount of land that they manage to payments for efforts undertaken to provide public goods. The aim of this thesis is to explore how sustainability transitions could be governed to enhance the social acceptability of both the sustainability transition process and its outcomes. The analysis is based on literature reviews, interviews with stakeholders, a survey with English adults, and a policy analysis of key policy documents related to the English agricultural sustainability transition. Based on this, this develops a Sustainability Transition Governance framework and provides practical lessons for the governance of sustainability transitions. Overall, this thesis highlights the importance of monitoring and reflecting societal perceptions throughout a sustainability transition process; allowing diversity in problem and solution frames; creating flexibility in the measures designed to bring about a sustainability transition; providing clearly worded, long-term goals; interlinking problem(s), goal(s), and mechanisms to achieve the goal(s) of a sustainability transition; using integrated decision-making; building trust; showing credibility; being transparent in all sustainability transition processes; and taking a holistic approach to governance

Perceptions of just agricultural transitions in England,2022

This dataset contains the results of a survey that was conducted through a Qualtrics panel of the English adult population during the period January-April 2022. The survey is the first in its kind in taking a psychometric approach to assessing justice perceptions related to agricultural transitions. The aim was to develop and test a practical tool that can be used to examine perceptions of a just transition in the agricultural context and that can support governments to inform their governance of agricultural sustainability transitions. We aimed to collect a representative sample with a sample size of N=400, taking account of age, gender, education, income, and distribution across England. Attempted responses were terminated when a quota in a certain group (gender, age, education level, geographical location, income) was met, when the respondent was younger than 18, or when they were speeding through the survey to such an extent that it would not be possible to read the questions in the used timeframe. Further responses were excluded based on duplication, straight lining, or partial response. The survey was live collecting responses until a representative sample of N=400 was reached

To adapt or not to adapt, that is the question. Examining farmers’ perceived adaptive capacity and willingness to adapt to sustainability transitions

The agricultural sector is one of the areas that has been highlighted as requiring a sustainability transition. For these kinds of transitions to succeed over the long-term, farmers need to be able to adapt to the required changes. Identifying which individual and institutional aspects are important for farmers’ adaptive capacity and willingness to adapt is therefore an essential step in gaining insight into the role of farmers’ agency in transition processes and their long-term sustainability. So far, adaptive capacity literature has mainly focused on adaptive capacity in relation to climate change or individual innovations, thereby leaving a knowledge gap on adaptive capacity in relation to sustainability transitions. In this study, we aim to address this by deepening our understanding of these aspects through 24 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with English farmers and organisations in the context of the post-Brexit agricultural transition. Whilst we found many similarities with previous adaptation literature in the context of climate change and individual innovation, we also found aspects that have not been prominent and thus seem to be specific for adaptation in relation to sustainability transitions. These include the dual role that access to finances and information can play; land ownership status in terms of having the right to implement adaptation measures; state of mind; feeling respected, appreciated, and understood; perceived level of control and ownership; and considerations of (global) consequences. Further research is needed to strengthen and further develop our findings, for example through case studies in other geographical locations or sectors

The old, the new, or the old made new? Everyday counter-narratives of the so-called fourth agricultural revolution

Prevalent narratives of agricultural innovation predict that we are once again on the cusp of a global agricultural revolution. According to these narratives, this so-called fourth agricultural revolution, or agriculture 4.0, is set to transform current agricultural practices around the world at a quick pace, making use of new sophisticated precision technologies. Often used as a rhetorical device, this narrative has a material effect on the trajectories of an inherently political and normative agricultural transition; with funding, other policy instruments, and research attention focusing on the design and development of new precision technologies. A growing critical social science literature interrogates the promises of revolution. Engagement with new technology is likely to be uneven, with benefits potentially favouring the already powerful and the costs falling hardest on the least powerful. If grand narratives of change remain unchallenged, we risk pursuing innovation trajectories that are exclusionary, failing to achieve responsible innovation. This study utilises a range of methodologies to explore everyday encounters between farmers and technology, with the aim of inspiring further work to compile the microhistories that can help to challenge robust grand narratives of change. We explore how farmers are engaging with technology in practice and show how these interactions problematise a simple, linear notion of innovation adoption and use. In doing so, we reflect upon the contribution that the study of everyday encounters can make in setting more inclusionary, responsible pathways towards sustainable agriculture

Videos and podcasts for delivering agricultural extension: achieving credibility, relevance, legitimacy and accessibility

Purpose: To explore the perceived credibility, relevance, legitimacy and accessibility of videos and podcasts in farm extension. Methods: A two-phase mixed methods approach consisting of a pre-COVID online survey of farmers (n = 221), farmer telephone interviews (n = 60) and in-person focus groups of farmers (n = 4) followed by an analysis of how viewers interact with. Agricology videos and podcasts, a further online survey (n = 141) and online farmer focus groups (n = 4) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: If they are to be perceived as effective extension methods, videos should be short, concise, practical, advert-free and visualise how to implement a practice. Podcasts can be longer, more detailed, and allow multitasking. Both should use farmer-friendly language, be easily accessible, high quality, non-biased, and be created by someone whom farmers respect. Practical implications: helps policy-makers and extensionists understand the potential of videos and podcasts and the trade-offs in using them with other forms of extension. The findings are also of use to global advisory services seeking to offer hybridised advice as a result of the ongoing COVID pandemic. Theoretical implications: elucidates the trade-offs of using videos and podcasts when face-to-face extension is not possible and develops the CRELE framework. Originality: discusses the role of podcasts in farm extension and re-evaluates the role of videos when face-to-face extension is impossible

Governing dual objectives within single policy mixes : an empirical analysis of large carnivore policies in six European countries

Policy mixes (i.e. the total structure of policy processes, strategies, and instruments) are complex constructs that can quickly become incoherent, inconsistent, and incomprehensive. This is amplified when the policy mix strives to meet multiple objectives simultaneously, such as in the case of large carnivore policy mixes. Building on Rogge and Reichardt's analytical framework for the analysis of policy mixes, we compare the policy mixes of Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany (specifically Saxony and Bavaria), and Spain (specifically Castilla y Leon). The study shows that the large carnivore policy mixes in the case countries show signs of lacking vertical and horizontal coherence in the design of policy processes, weak consistency between objectives and designated policy instruments, and, as a consequence, lacking comprehensiveness. We conclude that creating consistent, coherent, and comprehensive policy mixes that build on multiple objectives requires stepping away from sectorized policy development, toward a holistic, systemic approach, strong collaborative structures across policy boundaries and regions, the inclusion of diverse stakeholders, and constant care and attention to address all objectives simultaneously rather than in isolation.Peer reviewe

What are the priority research questions for digital agriculture?

There is a need to identify key existing and emerging issues relevant to digitalisation in agricultural production that would benefit from a stronger evidence base and help steer policy formulation. To address this, a prioritisation exercise was undertaken to identify priority research questions concerning digital agriculture in the UK, but with a view to also informing international contexts. The prioritisation exercise uses an established and effective participatory methodology for capturing and ordering a wide range of views. The method involves identifying a large number of participants and eliciting an initial long list of research questions which is reduced and refined in subsequent voting stages to select the top priorities by theme. Participants were selected using purposive sampling and snowballing to represent a number of sectors, organisations, companies and disciplines across the UK. They were each invited to submit up to 10 questions according to certain criteria, and this resulted in 195 questions from a range of 40 participants (largely from England with some representation from Scotland and Wales). Preliminary analysis and clustering of these questions through iterative analysis identified seven themes as follows: data governance; data management; enabling use of data and technologies; understanding benefits and uptake of data and technologies; optimising data and technologies for performance; impacts of digital agriculture; and new collaborative arrangements. Subsequent stages of voting, using an online ranking exercise and a participant workshop for in-depth discussion, refined the questions to a total of 27 priority research questions categorised into 15 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze, across the 7 themes. The questions significantly enrich and extend previous clustering and agenda setting using literature sources, and provide a range of new perspectives. The analysis highlights the interconnectedness of themes and questions, and proposes two nexus for future research: the different dimensions of value, and the social and institutional arrangements to support digitalisation in agriculture. These emphasise the importance of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, and the need to tackle the binary nature of current analytical frames. These new insights are equally relevant to contexts outside the UK. This paper highlights the need for research actions to inform policy, not only instrumentally by strengthening the evidence base, but also conceptually, to prompt new thinking. To our knowledge this methodology has not been previously applied to this topic

Moving Climate Change Adaptation in the Forest Sector Forward Through Stakeholder Empowerment : A Case Study on Västerbotten County, Sweden

Climate change and what to do about it, both in relation to mitigation and adaptation, is a strongly debated topic. One of the areas that has been brought forward as pivotal in both adaptation and mitigation is the forest sector. Yet, the scientific literature reveals that adaptation measures are to date seldomly implemented in this sector. Much is known about hurdles in the way of adaptation measures, but far less is known on how to empower local stakeholders to move adaptation forward. Therefore, this thesis examines if a new approach to climate change adaptation in the forest sector can help to empower local stakeholders to take adaptation actions. A theoretical framework for change that focusses on strengths in the surroundings of the stakeholders is developed with insights of the Institutional Analysis and Development framework, Empowerment Theory, Asset Based Community Development, and Appreciative Inquiry. Based on this framework, a method is developed and applied in a participatory backcasting workshop with students with a focus on Västerbotten County, Sweden. The results from this case study show that the new approach contributed to the empowerment of the participants and to a more holistic understanding of local climate change adaptation in the forest sector.Bring down the sky to the earth: how to use forests to open up for constructive climate change pathways in local context

Moving Climate Change Adaptation in the Forest Sector Forward Through Stakeholder Empowerment : A Case Study on Västerbotten County, Sweden

Climate change and what to do about it, both in relation to mitigation and adaptation, is a strongly debated topic. One of the areas that has been brought forward as pivotal in both adaptation and mitigation is the forest sector. Yet, the scientific literature reveals that adaptation measures are to date seldomly implemented in this sector. Much is known about hurdles in the way of adaptation measures, but far less is known on how to empower local stakeholders to move adaptation forward. Therefore, this thesis examines if a new approach to climate change adaptation in the forest sector can help to empower local stakeholders to take adaptation actions. A theoretical framework for change that focusses on strengths in the surroundings of the stakeholders is developed with insights of the Institutional Analysis and Development framework, Empowerment Theory, Asset Based Community Development, and Appreciative Inquiry. Based on this framework, a method is developed and applied in a participatory backcasting workshop with students with a focus on Västerbotten County, Sweden. The results from this case study show that the new approach contributed to the empowerment of the participants and to a more holistic understanding of local climate change adaptation in the forest sector.Bring down the sky to the earth: how to use forests to open up for constructive climate change pathways in local context

Moving Climate Change Adaptation in the Forest Sector Forward Through Stakeholder Empowerment : A Case Study on Västerbotten County, Sweden

Climate change and what to do about it, both in relation to mitigation and adaptation, is a strongly debated topic. One of the areas that has been brought forward as pivotal in both adaptation and mitigation is the forest sector. Yet, the scientific literature reveals that adaptation measures are to date seldomly implemented in this sector. Much is known about hurdles in the way of adaptation measures, but far less is known on how to empower local stakeholders to move adaptation forward. Therefore, this thesis examines if a new approach to climate change adaptation in the forest sector can help to empower local stakeholders to take adaptation actions. A theoretical framework for change that focusses on strengths in the surroundings of the stakeholders is developed with insights of the Institutional Analysis and Development framework, Empowerment Theory, Asset Based Community Development, and Appreciative Inquiry. Based on this framework, a method is developed and applied in a participatory backcasting workshop with students with a focus on Västerbotten County, Sweden. The results from this case study show that the new approach contributed to the empowerment of the participants and to a more holistic understanding of local climate change adaptation in the forest sector.Bring down the sky to the earth: how to use forests to open up for constructive climate change pathways in local context