Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
In total, 59 initiatives were proposed for selection (between 7 and 10 in each of the 7
countries). These were identified by the NSPGs in conjunction with the scientists involved,
on the basis that they represented initiatives and changes to agriculture that were important
at regional level. Dossiers on potential case studies were compiled, and then the cases
assessed in order to identify the most appropriate with regard to the following criteria:
The temporal scale - initiatives that had started at least 5 years earlier;
Regional impact - the initiatives should not be isolated to a single local area but
exist in other regions or different countries;
Stage of transition - having moved beyond the stage of niche formation, as
evidenced by the range and complexity of the actors involved; and
Sustainability - initiatives should make a contribution to economic, social and
environmental sustainability.
Once the cases were classified, a set of additional qualifications were taken into
account for the selected initiatives: first, the inclusion of some failed initiatives (negative
influence on sustainability) (such as cases where although the circumstances had been
favourable, the transition process did not occur); second, the inclusion of some cases of
completed transitions, as well as transition processes of both top
‐
down and bottom-up
character; third, two criteria for selection within clusters, that is the range of transition
progress and good fit or comparability; fourth, inclusion of at least one mainstream and one
alternative initiative, selected by each national team.
Research methods
In terms of research methods, the research was conducted in the form of qualitative case
studies, utilizing a combination of qualitative interviews, focus groups and document
review. The number of interviews and documents reviewed varied between the case studies,
reflecting the availability of data. In most cases, approximately 10 to 15 interviews were
undertaken with a range of stakeholders and participants. In some cases, however there was
considerable documentation available for review and so fewer interviews were undertaken
(e.g. biogas production in Wendland-Elbetal). Several of the cases also chose to undertake
focus groups with participants (such as in the research on formalized machinery and labour
sharing in the UK). Qualitative approaches are appropriate for the assessment of transitions
in progress, as they are particularly well suited to exploring complex issues, and for
studying processes that occur over time (Ritchie and Lewis, 2008). The flexible nature of
qualitative research also enables the researcher to 'follow' the data; to identify new issues
for exploration, and identify associated key informants. Assessments utilizing the MLP also
increasingly integrate other theoretical perspectives to address specific aspects (e.g. Elzen
et al.
, 2011 who integrate social movement theory and political science with the MLP).
This approach was also undertaken in some of the case studies, in order to further develop
findings. For example, Diaz
et al.
(2013) combined the MLP with actor-network theory,
while Sutherland and Holstead (2014) use the theory of planned behaviour to explore the
role of renewable energy production in farm business decision-making. For consistency
purposes, the analysis presented in this topic is solely based on the MLP.
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