Scaling up and out as a Pathway for Food System Transitions

Abstract

This paper contributes to the understanding of sustainability transitions by analysing processes of scaling up and out as change pathway. It defines scaling up and out as a distinct form of policy transfer focused on programme implementation, with continuity of actors across jurisdictions. We detail how scaling up and out occurs, introducing a new mechanism to policy transfer frameworks. This is explicated through the case study of Food for Life (FFL), a civil society innovation programme promoting sustainable healthy food in public settings. We highlight why FFL was scaled up and out, how this was achieved, by whom, and the results and success factors. The case study demonstrates the importance of interrogating motivations for transferring policies, and how these influence whether successful outcomes are achieved. This requires a revised framework for analysing policy transfer, with greater attention to the links between motives and outcomes, and a less binary understanding of agents' roles. Where scaling is the mode of policy transfer, we suggest that continuous involvement of at least one transfer agent across the process is significant to success. We conclude by highlighting implications for future research into policy transfer and food system transitions.

The Multi-Level Perspective in Research on Sustainability Transitions in Agriculture and Food Systems: A Systematic Review

“…Concerning the food chain stages, production is the most addressed one. Distribution and sourcing/procurement [65][66][67][68][69] are properly addressed. Processing stage [70,71] is underrepresented in research on agro-food sustainability transitions using the MLP.…”

“…Bui et al [66] Alternative food networks France Davidson et al [53] Alternative beef production Canada Jurgilevich et al [72] Circular economy in the food system Undefined Maru et al [102] Integrated agricultural research for development (IAR4D) Multi-country/East and West Africa Pant [80] Agroecology Multi-country Papachristos and Adamides [103] Functional foods Undefined Pitt and Jones [69] Food for Life (FFL) catering mark UK Schut et al [104] Innovation platforms Multi-country/Africa Stahlbrand [67] Soil Association's Food For Life catering mark UK (England) Vankeerberghen and Stassart [85] Conservation agriculture Belgium 2015 8…”

“…In fact, transitions occur only when niche-innovations are enough robust to challenge the dominant socio-technical system. The robustness and maturity of the niche are two necessary conditions to ensure its scaling up and out i.e., reaching larger groups of people and having greater impact [69], thus contributing to agro-food transitions. However, scaling up may lead to the loss, or at least 'dilution', of niche values; for instance in the case of agro-ecology, Pant [80] examines the 'paradox of mainstreaming agroecology' that " .…”

Transition heuristic frameworks in research on agro-food sustainability transitions

“…Synthesising transition approaches would allow benefiting from their different strengths in the study of transitions. Different combinations of transition frameworks are present in the selected research papers: MLP and SNM (Wiskerke 2003;Pitt and Jones 2016), MLP and SPA Hargreaves et al 2013;Hinrichs 2014), TM and IS , TM and SPA Davies and Doyle 2015) (Table 10). It is noteworthy that MLP is the framework that was more widely combined with other transition heuristics.…”

“…Pitt and Jones (2016) and Wiskerke (2003) referred to both MLP and SNM in their sustainability transitions studies. Pitt and Jones (2016) analysed processes of scaling up and out as a form of policy transfer that is crucial in food sustainability transitions and pointed out that "Policy decisions are significant to transition because policy convergence might create pressure for regime change or facilitate strategic niche management" (p. 4). Wiskerke (2003) analysed the development and stabilisation of the Dutch wheat regime (cf.…”