Socio-technical transitions in farming: key concepts - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 17

Chapter 2

Socio-technical transitions in farming:
key concepts

I. Darnhofer 1

1 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna ([e-mail])

Introduction

Transition studies usually focus on processes of radical change at the level of a country, or
even at the international level. Since a transition can only be ascertained in hindsight, many
of these studies are historical. The case studies presented in this topic differ from many
other studies on transition to sustainability in several ways: the focus is on emerging
transitions (transitions in-the-making) and we focus on a smaller spatial level, that of the
region. These specifications allow us to zoom-in on the niche-regime interactions that play
a key role in the 'take-off' phase of a transition; when a niche engages with the regime to
initiate radical technical, institutional and structural changes.
The case studies presented in this topic were selected because they have the potential to
contribute to a transition to sustainability in agriculture. They focus on new developments
that question the dominant paradigm, calling into question the basic assumptions of the
existing regime in a fundamental way. To achieve radical change, the niche is involved in a
whole complex of interrelated changes including, for example, new beliefs and values; new
technologies and practices; new configurations of actor groups; new networks or new
policies.
This chapter presents the core characteristics of studies of 'socio-technical transitions
to sustainability', focusing on the multi-level perspective (MLP) and niche-regime linking.
It includes a very brief overview of previous work on niche-internal processes, which was
situated within research on (endogenous) rural development. Finally, some core concepts
on transitions within farming will be discussed: the need of a niche to cope with the
complexity and unpredictability of societal change; the role of power in resisting and
steering transitions; the politics involved in defining sustainability in agriculture; and the
role of changing rules and values to engender transitions.