Transition Pathways towards Sustainability in Agriculture

Lee-Ann Sutherland, James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, UK Ika Darnhofer, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria Geoff Wilson, University of Plymouth, UK Lukas Zagata, Czech University of Agriculture, Czech Republic

This book provides timely analysis of the multiple challenges facing European agriculture - - Exciting new insights are developed covering topics such as multifunctionaility, high nature value farming, energy production from farm crops and new forms of governance." Prof Guy Robinson, Director of the Centre for Regional Engagement, University of South Australia This book presents a rich, pan-European selection of cases assessed utilising the multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions. Based on this variety, it offers new conceptual terms for analysis, including 'niche-tandems', 'retro-innovation' and 'market hybridity'. The findings of this book thus present an important stepping stone for future research on transition strategies to make agriculture globally sustainable while preserving its local and regional richness. Dr Boelie Elzen, Science, Technology & Policy Studies (STəPS), University of Twente, the Netherlands.

• I: Contributors II: Glossary III: Acknowledgements 1: Introduction 2: Socio-technical transitions in farming: key concepts 3: Understanding the diversity of rural areas 4: Utilising the multi-level perspective in empirical field research:methodological considerations 5: Lifestyle farming: countryside consumption and transition towards new farming models 6: More than just a factor in transition processes? The role of collaboration in agriculture 7: High nature value farming: environmental practices for rural sustainability 8: Transition processes and natural resource management 9: On-farm renewable energy: a ‘classic case’ of technological transition 10: ‘The missing actor’: alternative agri-food networks and the resistance of key regime actors 11: Local quality and certification schemes as new forms of governance in sustainability transitions 12: Transdisciplinarity in deriving sustainability pathways for agriculture 13: Conceptual insights derived from case studies on ‘emerging transitions’ in farming 14: Conclusions