Conclusions - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 215

agricultural sector as a whole, has arguably led to many of the problems being addressed
by other sustainability initiatives (such as environmental risks related to intensive farming,
Vlahos and Schiller, this volume; negative local economic effects of globalized food
production, Darrot et al. and Lošťák et al. , both this volume). Although renewable energy
production represents decentralization in the energy sector, it may also contribute to
increased concentration and intensification in the agricultural sector because it tends to be
located on large-scale farms which can leverage the considerable investment required.
Farm-based renewables also face considerable competition from non-agricultural
businesses interested in capitalizing on energy markets, and there is increasing public
concern about the secondary impacts of renewable energy production, particularly the
mono-cropping of maize for biogas plants and the visual impact of turbines on the
surrounding countryside. Pursuit of production-based pathways in isolation can, thus, be
highly contentious, risking exacerbation of existing sustainability issues.
Local certification and AAFN also produce products - food - but in opposition to
existing marketing channels. In doing so, they typically do not intend to change the
existing markets; instead they aim to be autonomous through the developments of new
markets. Whilst this strategy has been successful in the cases studied, there is increasing
evidence that these emerging markets are targeted by multinational grocery chains who
are similarly integrating 'local' products into their marketing strategies. These niches are,
thus, influencing incremental regime change within the agri-food sector but in so doing,
may limit their own long-term viability. These power dynamics within multi-regime
interactions are an important area for future research.
Local certification channels and AAFN also demonstrate cases where the
consumption function of agriculture is promoted (such as the creation of food products
that appeal to consumers on the basis of heritage, quality and other amenity features).
Although these produce marketable products and, as such, are recognized by the policy
sector, the utility of the MLP in assessing these types of transitions is less evident.
Lifestyle farming, in particular, demonstrates that consumers can initiate changes within
agriculture but the absence of clear products makes it much more difficult to define the
niche and its associated interactions. Network anchoring appears to be largely absent for
lifestyle farmers, and Pinto-Correia et al. a (this volume) describe this new type of farmer
as 'unseen', owing to their lack of state recognition, regulation and integration into
agricultural knowledge networks. However, the consumption function of agriculture
appears to be directly linked to hybridization, establishing connections between multiple
regimes. New entrants to farming and the agricultural sector bring with them new visions
of the purpose and potential of farming activities, as well as knowledge and skills from
other sectors. The resultant 'niche-tandems', 'retro-innovations' and 'hybrid markets' are
important sources of innovation for farming. However, the development of this
consumption function raises the question of who consumption is for (in other words, only
those who can afford specialized products or services), as well as increasing competition
for rural resources such as land. We suggest that the development of this consumption
function should not be ignored, nor should it be treated as a means of increasing average
levels of income in rural areas without recognizing the underlying power dynamics (the
winners, losers, and long term implications for resource access).