| Popis: |
Governing transitions toward sustainable futures is notoriously challenging. In this thesis we examine the role of transdisciplinary experimentation as a mode of governance toward sustainability. We specifically zoom in on the politics and governance of transdisciplinary experimentation and ask the question: “How may we understand the governance and politics of transdisciplinary experimentation in sustainability transitions?” After first setting the stage in Part I, we theoretically explore different perspectives on the politics of sustainability transition governance (Part II), considering both normative and causal interpretations of politics. In Part III then, we present a tale of two systems, highlighting how R&I systems are coupled to food systems, and how transdisciplinary approaches aimed at sustainability transitions could be further stimulated. Then, in Part IV a number of empirical studies are presented, elaborating on the governance and politics of transdisciplinary experimentation. These studies resulted from our engagement in the EU FIT4FOOD2030 project. In the final part (Part V) we present the main findings, cross-cutting themes, future research directions and reflections, and we provide recommendations for transdisciplinary R&I projects and policy makers. The main contributions of this thesis, we contend, are that by combining a strong theoretical focus on the politics of sustainability transitions with our action-oriented engagement in a transition-oriented project, we were able to (1) illuminate the different ways in which multi-scale, multi-level and multi-system dynamics ‘hit the ground’ in transdisciplinary experimentation processes, shedding light on the translocal dynamics of experimentation and the role of transdisciplinary R&I in EU food system transformation. This helps us to (2) articulate inherent and political challenges involved in ‘doing transitions’ in practice, most notably regarding (i) balancing here-and-now-project dynamics with long-term transformative ambitions; (ii) governing diversities of inclusion with directionalities implied by transformative efforts; and (iii) knowing how and whether project activities contribute to transformative change. This in turn allows us to (3) formulate governance strategies for navigating the abovementioned challenges in transition-oriented projects, and to provide recommendations for those working on catalyzing sustainability transitions, specifically tailored to those involved in transdisciplinary R&I projects, as well as R&I policy makers and funders. We hope that the findings presented in the different chapters, the considerations and reflections that are raised to stimulate further (academic) debate, and the provided (policy) recommendations can be useful to both researchers and policy makers for their endeavors to both understand and enact urgently needed transitions toward just and sustainable futures. |
