Transdisciplinarity in deriving sustainability pathways for agriculture - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 185

cases, researchers have been active social players, in starting the niche or creating the
dynamics required for the niche to take off. Researcher involvement can result in higher
social capital amongst those involved which, in turn, can also be the driver for more hybrid
connections and interactions amongst niches, sub-regimes and regimes. Researchers'
networking capacity, conceptual background, knowledge base and position as relative
outsiders ensures that researchers can be key actors in many phases of the transition
process. What the visions have also shown is that transition is considered to be possible
only when anchoring of the niches can take place in different sub-regimes or regimes, and
these can interact - increasing the complexity of the process and the need for hybrid actors,
as researchers may be, to play an active role.
Conclusion
As advocated by Marsden et al. (2010; Marsden, 2013), the participatory transdisciplinary
process has attempted to identify visions and pathways for the sustainability of agriculture
at the regional scale, and also to support more reflexive and adaptive governance in the
regions concerned. Nevertheless, the approach has not resulted from the joint understanding
of a problem, where both researchers and practitioners have, together, defined the need for
the process, as is the ideal for co-construction (Darnhofer et al. , 2012). Therefore, the scope
of this process was limited from its initiation. Nonetheless, it can be concluded from the
findings of the implemented process that social learning has occurred in each case study
region, involving multiple actors from different spheres. This learning is more clearly
identified in some regions than in others, but the co-construction of visions and pathways,
resulting from the process as a whole, inherently contributes to social learning (Grin et al. ,
2010). Results have also shown that this process has led to a change in perspective amongst
stakeholders, including the researchers, through joint efforts to find a collective perception
of the problem, and directions for sustainable solutions (Kemp and Loorbach, 2006).
Consequently, the transdisciplinary process has contributed to changes and possibly, in
some regions, has supported a transition pathway. Only future assessments will be able to
confirm this statement.
Furthermore, this social learning has only been possible due to the use of suitable and
tailor-made tools. It became obvious, as Brandt et al. (2013) also found, that a well-
structured and facilitated process, where the leading role is clearly defined, is a critical
factor in the progression of the shared construction of knowledge. This critical factor also
encompasses the attitudes and behaviours of the research team. Only when these are open
to the science-practice dialogue can such crucial dialogue like this take place and be
successful.
References
Allmendinger, P. (2009) Planning Theory (Planning, Environment, Cities) , 2nd edn. Palgrave
MacMillan, Basingstoke, UK.
Arnstein, S.R. (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners
35, 216-224.