Conclusions - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 206

use of the MLP is not straightforward for emerging transitions: the boundaries of the
niche, regime and landscape factors are not easily defined. Processes and dominant
players, which are clearly evident in retrospect, are less so in mid-transition and it is
difficult to identify a priori those niches which are likely to lead to future regime change.
In addition, in order to derive conclusions which are useful for influencing and
intervening in emerging transitions, a transdisciplinary approach was adopted whereby
researchers collaborated with lay participants and stakeholders.
Adding to the challenge of operationalization is the 'special case' represented by the
agricultural sector in transition studies. Marsden (2013) identifies two reasons for this: the
inherently spatial nature of agricultural systems (based on land) and the high level of
policy intervention in agricultural systems (related to public goods provision). In Chapter
3 (this volume), Slee and Pinto-Correia describe the regional differentiation that is
inherent in European agriculture, borne out in the variation in regional opportunities
demonstrated in subsequent case study chapters (Chapters 5 to 11), as well as in the types
of intervention encountered (see Chapter 12 2 ). The extensive role of government policy in
the progression (and in some cases initiation) of sustainability initiatives is also evident
throughout the case studies. However, our analysis also suggests a third related
distinction: the multifunctional nature of the agricultural sector. The diverse functions
expected of the agricultural sector lead to extensive interactions with other sectors,
including energy, tourism, real estate and nature conservation, in addition to the range of
consumption, marketing and distribution functions expected of what is now often termed
the 'agri-food system'.
The role of technology in transition processes may also be distinctive in the
agricultural sector. Although the level of mechanization does not distinguish agriculture
from other industries, it may be unique in terms of the extent of public concern over, and
government intervention in, the impacts of this mechanization on the structure of the
industry. Impacts can affect the environment and other service provision such as food
quality, amenity, and maintenance of cultural heritage. As a result, sustainability
transitions in agriculture are less likely to depend on new technologies, instead involving
'soft' forms of transition (e.g. through new governance measures, alternative marketing
channels, 'retro-innovation' and relocalization). These special characteristics offer an
opportunity to further develop the MLP for use in assessing transition processes both
within and beyond the agricultural sector.
Emerging themes in sustainability transitions
Technological bias within the MLP
The MLP was originally developed to assess technology-based transition processes. Based
on thinking from evolutionary economics and science and technology studies (Geels and
Schot, 2010), these foundations are reflected in the emphasis on 'socio -technical systems',
which place the development of technologies as central to transition processes, whil st
recognizing the broader systems in which they originate and evolve. Definitions of
2 Although the interventions identified were highly differentiated, reflecting regional differences, the goals
identified for agriculture were remarkably similar across the sites.