Socio-technical transitions in farming: key concepts - Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture: Case Studies from Europe - page 22

Studies using the MLP
There have also been a few studies that have analysed historical transitions in agriculture
from a MLP perspective. Some are based on available historical literature and study long-
term transitions (50 years or more). For example Grin (2010) has analysed the
modernization of agriculture in the Netherlands between 1886 and 2006 (see also Geels,
2009). Belz (2004) has retraced the transition in Switzerland from intensive, industrialized
practices towards integrated and organic practices; Smith (2006) has analysed the
development of organic farming in the UK; and Sinclair (2014) has retraced the
transformative change in the Australian subtropical dairy system, following its
deregulation. Other work done on agriculture and agri-food chains focuses mostly on niche-
level process, such as how novelty emerges and how a niche stabilizes. Some of this work
has been published in edited topics (Elzen et al. , 2004b; Wiskerke and van der Ploeg, 2004;
Poppe et al. , 2009; Vellema, 2011; Spaargaren et al. , 2012). In summarizing the factors that
encourage the stabilization of niches in agriculture, Roep and Wiskerke (2004) identify
seven lessons:
 Create and maintain a learning environment, privileging double-loop learning
(learning about the assumptions, meaning and preferences of relevant actors).
Learning should focus on how networks are built and maintained, and on the
complex interactions between technical and institutional aspects linked to novelty
creation;
 Explore and understand diversity, which enables niche actors to identify and present
a novelty as promising; and to develop it into a convincing and well-functioning
programme;
 Make new and effective connections, for example with rural entrepreneurs,
researchers, extension agents, or farmers' unions;
 Take into account that creating alignment between strategies and expectations is a
continuous process, thus the niche and its network requires continuous management
and evaluation aimed at maintaining individual responsibility and commitment to
the collective goal;
 Ensure that all actors improve their own situation, since progress or reciprocity (at
the material or the moral economy level) is the reason for their participation;
 Recognize change agents as crucial to set the process in motion, through actions
such as envisioning windows of opportunity, expressing expectations, enrolling
alliances and creating room for manoeuvre at the local level; and
 Appreciate the value of the unexpected. In other words building the capacity to
transform the unexpected or unintended into something useful or valuable, instead of
assessing outcomes only according to initial expectations and learning processes.
Similar conclusions were reached based on the study of a wide range of organic
marketing initiatives (Schmid et al. , 2004), where the internal factors for success were
found to include: professional management, key individuals, clear objectives and strategic
planning, recognition of strategic turning points, ensuring motivation and coherence,
innovation and market research, and networking. Tisenkopfs et al. (2009) reached similar
conclusions based on their analysis of how novelties mature into a niche (how innovation
networks are constructed). They highlighted the relevance of activities such as networking;