Conceptual insights derived from case studies on ‘emerging transitions’ in farming - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 198

However, there have increasingly been calls for 'engaged research' (Woods, 2010;
Campbell and Rosin, 2011), where researchers take a reflexive role and acknowledge how
their research practices influence unfolding transitions. Others (Funtowitcz and Ravetz,
1993; Nowotny et al. , 2003) have pointed out that unless there is a shift in how research is
done, it may no longer be able to address societal issues. Within this context, there are
increasing calls for transdisciplinary research (see, for example, Pohl and Hirsch Hadorn,
2007).
In the FarmPath project, there was a clear effort to integrate transdisciplinary elements
(see Pinto-Correia et al. b; Karanikolas et al. , both this volume). These efforts have
highlighted not only the potential additional insights in transition processes but also the
constraints imposed by the lack of experience of many researchers in such processes. They
have also highlighted the challenge that implementation poses in an international project,
where researchers differ in their ontological assumptions, epistemological commitments
and methodological choices.
By promoting reflexivity, such research projects also promote learning by researchers
and, thus, potential transformation within the agricultural research sub-regime. Indeed,
research is a constituent of the agricultural regime, and thus deeply involved in co-
constructing its underlying norms, logic and values, whilst at the same time (often
unconsciously) shutting out alternatives (see Vanloqueren and Baret, 2009). How research
is performed, thus, plays an important role in enabling the continued dominance of the
regime, or enabling the emergence of a transition. This is particularly the case regarding the
extent to which practitioners are included in the research process, how they are integrated,
and whether methods are selected that capture empirical diversity and highlight 'outliers',
rather than focusing solely on dominant practices (see Gibson-Graham, 2008). Especially in
emerging transitions, transdisciplinary and participatory processes may empower local
agents of change: giving them legitimacy, offering a platform where their approach can be
discussed in a wider setting, and making diversity visible. Recent trends within research
highlight the potential of co-design, where knowledge is developed in a complex,
interactive design process with a range of stakeholders through a process of social learning
(Grin et al. , 2010). This can lead to re-framing or a change in perspective amongst
stakeholders who seek a shared problem perception, and directions for sustainable solutions
(Kemp and Loorbach, 2006).
The experiences within FarmPath confirm that transdisciplinary work implies careful
understanding of the dynamics within participatory processes, and active engagement by
researchers. This calls for a fundamental change in researchers' attitudes, which can be
challenging. Indeed, in FarmPath some researchers have felt uncomfortable with this
process, partly due to a lack of training and also to their late integration into an ongoing
case study (see Pinto-Correia et al. b, this volume).
Challenges in identifying a 'transition' in farming
The ideal or typical representation of a transition is a process that results from niche-
innovations that build up internal momentum and changes at the level of the socio-technical
landscape that create pressure on the regime thereby creating windows of opportunity for
niche-innovations (Geels, 2011). However, Geels (2011:29) has pointed out that there are