IFSA 2014 Niche Regime Interactions - Julie Ingram

Linkage processes between niche and regime:

analysis of Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture across Europe

J. Ingram, N. Curry, J. Kirwan, D. Maye, and K. Kubinakova

[email protected]

The 11th European IFSA Symposium, Berlin, 1-4 April 2014

Outline

• Challenges of transition to sustainable agriculture

• Emerging networks

• Niches - regime interactions - analytical framework

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusion

2

Challenges of transition to sustainable agriculture

• Transition in agriculture - a shift from the mainstream

‘productivist regime’ to a regime built around the principles of sustainable production

• Transforming systems of food production and consumption poses challenges

• Innovation is key to transition but AKS (charged with fostering innovation) are often locked into old approaches or trajectories

Emerging networks • Alternative and innovative approaches to agriculture (SA)

emerging • Networks of individuals and/or organisations

experimenting with new solutions • Innovative niche practices on the margins of the

mainstream agriculture regime • Networks are bottom up, coalitions or within regime itself

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Alternative and innovative approaches to agriculture, developing around the principles of sustainable agriculture are emerging They often occur in the form of networks of individuals and/or organisations experimenting with new solutions that form innovative niche practices on the margins of the mainstream agriculture regime Networks are bottom up, coalitions or within regime itself

5

• Alternative approaches (or niche initiatives) as sources of

innovation which can seed a sustainable regime transformation

• Regime transformation occurs through an accumulation of projects or novelties in niche spaces which allow (through learning and experimentation) radical practices to develop

Niche -regime interactions

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Systems innovation and transition theory provides the theoretical basis for this work

Landscape Pressures

Mainstream Food System

Bottom Up Innovations

Time

Scales of Transition

Adapted from Geels & Schott, 2007 Macro scale niches -regime interactions

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Transitions are conventionally seen as resulting from external ‘landscape’ pressures exerting pressure upon incumbent regimes to open up ‘windows of opportunity’ that might be filled by novel, radical, innovations developed in ‘niche’ spaces (Geels and Schot, 2007). The diagram has three basic levels: Landscape pressures (“socio-technical landscape”). This is the external environment (or exogenous context) that sits above the main food system and niche innovations. The mainstream food system (“socio-technical regime”). Bottom up innovations (“niche-innovations”). This shows a macro level focus, our interest is in relationships between niches (bottom up innovations) and the dominant socio-technical regime (the mainstream agriculture/food system) in the space indicated by the green circle

7

Linking potential - governed by: Compatibility with the assumptions, practices and rules of existing regimes facilitates rapid niche growth enabling it to develop and diffuse (Smith, 2006). Linkage processes – regime accommodating and niche adaptation & diffusion processes (translation, absorption, networking) Basis for analytical framework

Niche -regime interactions

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Successful niches should not be too radically distinct from the incumbent regime Niches are limited by their compatibility with external constraints, actors, rules and artefacts, components of the mainstream regime

Methods

• 17 Case studies in SOLINSA project-LINSA • Participatory workshops, interviews, observation… LINSA- Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture Networks of producers, customers, experts, NGOs, SMEs, local administrations, as well as official researchers and extensionists, that are mutually engaged with common goals for sustainable agriculture and rural development - cooperating, sharing resources and co-producing new knowledge by creating conditions for communication (Brunori et al., 2013, p4) (See Ingram et al., 2013, www.solinsa.net)

Presenter

Presentation Notes

SOLINSA- Support of Learning and Inovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture. A FP7 project funded by the European Union looking at Knowledge Systems in transition.

LINSA-examples

Duurzaam Boer Blijven network of farmers who practice low external input dairy farming.

9

Natürli network of cheese producers in a mountainous region of Switzerland.

Latvia Biogas network of producers (especially large farms), investors, scientists, service providers, technology suppliers, policy makers, consultants, municipalities, banks, environmental agencies, NGOs.

Boeren en Zorg, Farmers and Care network in Netherlands.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

A full list of LINSA with details can be found at www.solinsa.net

Analytical Framework –Modes of interaction

• Compatibility • Linkage processes – adaptation, translation, absorption,

networking 17 LINSA - clustered into 5 Modes of Interaction Compatible; Complementary; Emergent; Divergent; and

Oppositional 3 examples follow:

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The notion of compatibility and linkage at the macro level structures provides a framework in which to examine the linkage processes that enable LINSA (niche projects) to adapt to the regime, and enable the regime to accommodate them. Moving from Compatible to Oppositional there is increasing divergence from mainstream agriculture with respect to values, assumptions, practices and rules.

11

Interaction Mode

Compatible Complementary Emergent Divergent Oppositional

Compatibility Links between niche and regime

Strong

Political support and recognition from regime

Moderately strong

Some shared guiding principles

Operating at the intersection of two regimes –some links to both

Moderately weak

Limited sharing of guiding principles

Weak

No shared guiding principles; different value system

Actors/network configurations

Traditional actors Traditional actors in new arrangements plus new facilitators

New actors and new networks

Traditional actors in new roles, new actors and new networks

New actors and new networks

Tension in regime (pressures in landscape)

Tension – consumers and policy and regulations

farm economic livelihood

Tension – environmental policy and farm economic livelihood

Tensions - policy and economic in both regimes (health/ energy and agriculture)

Tensions in regime –consumer awareness, farm economic livelihood

Tensions in regime –consumer awareness, health, community concerns

Linkage Processes Adaptation

Absorption

Translation

Networking

Growing within or adapting to the regime/AKS integration/absorption

LINSA practices are sufficiently flexible to be interpreted favourably against regime socio-technical criteria

Regime accommodation

Co-evolving with regime/AKS

aspirations to make a difference to the regime although some adaptation to regime problems

Looking for recognition and legitimacy

Some regime accommodation

Develop in a complementary manner to the agriculture regime, make use of the existing structures when appropriate

Mutual adaptation

Alignment of rules and routines plus new rules created

Some adaptation of LINSA through certification

Translations that adapt lessons

Extensive networking

Mutual adaptation

Regime actors accommodate, new actor roles

No linkage to traditional regime actors or institutions

Little adaptation or regime accommodation

Extensive Networking

LINSA N Dairy, F RAD, EU organ

L Biogas, N Care I Crisop, S Naturli E B&H, E perm, H G7, H Nat

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Moving from Compatible to Oppositional there is increasing divergence from mainstream agriculture with respect to values, assumptions, practices and rules. F Charter, L Fruit, S ACDF, I CVR, G Women, G DLG Clearly the process of interaction internally within modes can be heterogeneous, hence the general framework only attempts to capture interaction propensities not define discrete types.

12

Compatibility

•Moderately strong , some shared guiding principles

•Traditional actors in new arrangements plus new facilitators

•Tension – environmental policy and farm economic livelihood

Linkage processes

•Co-evolving with regime/AKS

•Aspirations to make a difference to the regime/some adaptation to regime problems

•Looking for recognition and legitimacy

•Some regime accommodation

Complementary Mode - Sustainable Agriculture

Network (RAD) France

Presenter

Presentation Notes

See LINSA description at www.solinsa.net Set up in 1994 by 11 local groups of farmers Dairy farmers built the first groups, to share ideas about producing milk from grass and clover, rather than from maize and fertilizers (1980s experimentation in W of France) Other groups progressively joined the network Today - 29 groups, 3000 farmers Each local group (about 70 farms and an adviser) The RAD hires 3 experts and facilitators The RAD supports farmer groups who wish to join them. The development is a progressive process, by cooptation of local groups. The RAD also belongs to a larger network the “National Federation of the Centres of Initiative for Rural Development” (FNCIVAM) which promotes knowledge diffusion in rural areas, rural development initiatives, and conciliation of agriculture and environment. FNCIVAM is the advisory and knowledge system of alternative farmers and rural actors (132 local groups). The RAD itself hires 3 experts and facilitators who manage the network, organise exchanges among farmers and advisers and participation to national or regional research projects. Farmers and advisers of the RAD share the willingness to promote an alternative way of farming and an opposition to intensive ways of production and to build innovative practices to reach that objective - early work by individual in 1980s is still emblematic for alternative livestock production and central for the RAD. The network doesn’t promote one or two specific innovations, even if it refers to some “sustainable agriculture specifications” for livestock and for crops productions. The idea is to help each local group, and each farmer in each local group to find his or her own way towards a more sustainable agriculture.

http://vernieuwendplatteland.nl/projecten/duurzaam-boer-blijven/

Compatibility

• Operating at the intersection of two regimes –some links to both

• New actors and new networks

• Tensions - policy and economic in both regimes (health/ energy and agriculture)

Linkage processes

• Develop in a complementary manner to the agriculture regime, makes use of the existing structures when appropriate

• Mutual adaptation

• Alignment of rules and routines plus new rules created

13

Emergent Mode – Biogas, Latvia & Care Farming, Netherlands

Presenter

Presentation Notes

See LINSA description at www.solinsa.net

Compatibility

• Weak - different value system

• New actors and new networks

• Tensions in regime –consumer awareness, health, community concerns

Linkage processes

• No linkage to traditional regime actors or institutions

• Little adaptation or regime accommodation

• Extensive networking

(see Ingram, J. et al., 2014 for Permaculture LINSA)

Oppositional Mode - Permaculture & BHFP, UK

Presenter

Presentation Notes

See LINSA description at www.solinsa.net BHFP = Brighton andHove Food Partnership

Linkage processes –LINSA adaptation

Interplay between LINSA adaptation and the regime’s accommodation Adaptation LINSA actors make alliances and partnerships with regime

actors and draw on, or contribute to, different elements of the regime Translation-not simple adoption - ideas, practices and events in LINSA

are translated into ideas and practices in the regime Mutual adaptations and negotiations - aligning practices and rules to

those in the regime Networking for diffusing and consolidating ideas in LINSA where

traditional regime actors and structures are irrelevant or not accessible

Linkage processes- regime accommodates

• Provides support, participates in networks/ partnerships/ new alliances

• AKS actors are involved in new collaborations with LINSA actors, and take on new roles

• Adapts or substitutes some of its rules or routines to accommodate LINSA practices

• Certification is key device for inserting practices into the mainstream

• Offers legitimacy • Policy instruments make space for LINSA to develop- eg Biogas

and N Dairy - regime

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Certification is key device for inserting practices into the mainstream - anchoring or embedding in incumbent regime Pressure on the regime to become more sustainable makes linkage and diffusion into the mainstream easier

• Challenges of transition conceptualised at a macro level

• Analysis at the sub-niche/niche project level reveals dynamic, diverse and irregular interaction in the ‘fuzzy’ space between niche and regime

• Transition to sustainable agriculture is a complex of interactive processes leading to a series of adaptive changes, rather than a regime change

© 2014 Julie Ingram. The Author(s) asserts their moral right to be identified as the Authors of the work

Conclusion

Presenter

Presentation Notes

The challenges of transition to a more sustainable agriculture are often articulated and conceptualised at a macro level; however, this study shows that directing analysis at the sub-niche or project level reveals dynamic, diverse and irregular interaction in the ‘fuzzy’ space between niche and regime where multiple linkage processes are operating. Thus, the transition to sustainable agriculture might be understood as a complex of interactive processes leading to a series of adaptive changes, rather a regime change

18

References

• Brunori , G. et al. (2013) CAP Reform and Innovation: The Role of Learning and Innovation Networks. Eurochoices 12 (2), 27–33

• Ingram et al. (2013) WP4 Synthesis Report. SOLINSA Deliverable 4.2a,b. www.solinsa.net

• Ingram, J. et al. (2014) Learning in the Permaculture Community of Practice in England: An Analysis of the Relationship between Core Practices and Boundary Processes. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 20 (3), 1–16

• Ingram, J. et al. (in review) Interactions between niche and regime: an analysis of learning and innovation networks for sustainable agriculture across Europe. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension

IFSA 2014 Niche Regime Interactions - Julie Ingram

Education

Transcript of IFSA 2014 Niche Regime Interactions - Julie Ingram