Introduction - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 10

directly through Wilson's (2007, 2008) analysis of farm transitions in relation to
multifunctionality. Where the MLP holds particular utility is in its conceptualization of
multiple societal levels, demonstrating the interaction of niche innovations, mainstream
regime actors and landscape-level factors.
As Chapter 2 (Darnhofer, this volume) will outline in detail, in this topic we use as a
foundation the MLP (e.g. Geels et al. , 2004; Geels, 2005; Kemp and Martens, 2007; Kemp
et al ., 2007; Rotmans and Loorbach, 2009; Geels and Schot, 2010), which recognizes the
importance of taking into account interrelations between societal domains and complexity -
that is, uncertainty and unpredictability - in understanding change processes. The principles
of the MLP, although primarily developed in relation to technological transition, fit well
with recent research on resilience and adaptive capacity as indicators of sustainability in
agricultural systems. Key to MLP conceptions is the notion that transition involves changes
in socio-technical systems: "a cluster of elements, including technology, regulations, user
practices and markets, cultural meanings, infrastructure, maintenance networks and supply
networks" (Geels et al ., 2004:3). This system is conceptualized as representing a stable
'regime' - a semi-coherent set of rules which provide orientation and coordination to actor
groups around a specific function. The regime is thus 'locked in' and changes only
incrementally. Radical transition is conceptualized as occurring in niches - protected spaces
where novelty innovations are developed by supportive actors. These niches may exist for
some time before a change in the 'socio-technical landscape' (the environment beyond the
direct influence of niche and regime actors, such as macro-economics, climate, deep
cultural patterns) create pressure on the mainstream system which creates a 'window of
opportunity' for niche innovations to influence the regime. It is this process of niche-
regime interaction that is the focus of this topic.
Structure of the topic
This topic is based on research findings from the FarmPath (Farming Transitions: Pathways
towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe) project, funded by the European
Commission's 7 th Framework Programme. The research was undertaken in response to a
call to identify and assess innovative models and approaches to agriculture, with a view to
identifying potential transition pathways, and options for disseminating and scaling up
these approaches within the European context. The topic chapters thus draw on a single
conceptual framework, rooted in the MLP, which is described in detail in Chapter 2
(Darnhofer, this volume). Chapter 3 establishes the backdrop for regional-level transition in
European agriculture, through an analysis of trends in the agricultural sector and rural areas
over the past 30 years, proposing a typology of rural areas in Europe (Slee and Pinto-
Correia, this volume). In Chapter 4, the methodological underpinnings of the case study
research are described, with an emphasis on lessons learned from applying the MLP in
empirical field research (Karanikolas et al ., this volume). To date, most analyses of
transition processes utilizing the MLP have been conceptual or based on document review.
Chapters 5 through 11 focus on findings from empirical case studies. In each chapter, three
regional level case studies are contrasted, selected from the seven study countries: Bulgaria,
the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal and the United Kingdom (Fig.
1.1).