More than just a factor in transition processes? The role of collaboration in agriculture - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 84

furthermore shows that it is unreasonable for individual farms or farming systems to
attempt to meet all of the above demands alone. Instead, it is proposed that sustainability is
best addressed by enabling actors within a region to optimize their own specific opportunity
sets (for example from natural resources, farming systems, social capital, governance
structures, infrastructure and economic development) in coordination with other relevant
regional actors.
Regional sustainability has to be grounded in the local context and implies regional
differences in the normative goals of the transition towards sustainability. As a
consequence, there is a need for interactions between individual farm models and farming
systems at the regional level, as a key aspect of sustainability: what will be decisive is
whether the farm models present within a region can interact to meet these changing needs.
From a transition management perspective, collaboration can be identified as a 'socio-
technical' innovation. This innovation forms the basis of the three niches studied here,
illustrating how novel forms of collaboration attempt to break through the regime an d
promote transitions. Referring to the MLP, collaboration may be relevant in, for example,
supporting the development and establishment of niches (in the pre-development stage of
sustainability transitions), in potentially anchoring the niche in the regime, or in
accelerating the transition.
This chapter will show how collaboration can be conceptualized as a socio-technical
innovation, based on the in-depth analysis of three initiatives (machinery rings in eastern
Scotland, CRIE Montado in Portugal and Regionalwert AG in Germany). Furthermore, it
will explore the role of collaboration in transition processes towards the sustainability of
agriculture, and summarize key factors influencing collaboration and transition.

Collaboration in transitions towards sustainability of agriculture

Collaboration between different agricultural actors has been highlighted as important for
the transition process in many of the initiatives studied in the FarmPath project (see, for
example, Peneva et al. , this volume). The three initiatives discussed in this chapter were
chosen on the basis that the collaborative aspect was among the key elements making them
innovative. Each of the initiatives has a different organizational form and integrates actors
from a variety of sectors:

 In Portugal, the 'CRIE Montado' initiative is a small group of agricultural

entrepreneurs collaborating for multifunctionality in the Montado, and promoting
the development of multifunctional farms and agriculture through experience and
information sharing, thereby extending farm activities from agricultural production
to tourism and recreation, education, social inclusion and product transformation.

 Formalized resource sharing has been studied in an investigation with two Scottish

machinery rings (Ringlink and Borders Machinery Ring). Machinery rings provide
opportunities for increased efficiency in agriculture by offering a low-cost
mechanism for resources, such as machinery and labour, to be shared according to
supply and demand, which can help farmers to reduce costs and provide an
alternative means to generate additional income. Commodities trading and training
provision have also become part of the range of services that machinery rings offer
to members.