Sustainable innovation journeys: exploring the dynamics of firm practices as part of transitions to more sustainable food and farming

Langendahl, Per-Anders; Cook, Matthew and Potter, Stephen (2016). Sustainable innovation journeys: exploring the dynamics of firm practices as part of transitions to more sustainable food and farming. Local Environment, 21(1) pp. 105–123.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014.926869

Abstract

Deep structural and sustained change is necessary to tackle contemporary environmental challenges. How such change emerges and can be governed has been explored through the notion of sustainable innovation journeys. To date research had conceptualised such journeys as transitions to more sustainable socio-technical systems, e.g. mobility, shelter, food and farming. However, there is a paucity of how innovation proceeds in firms as part of sustainable innovation journeys. This paper begins to address this gap in knowledge. A longitudinal case study was completed of a medium-sized food-processing firm in the UK. Qualitative data were collected using ethnographic methods such as participant observation. Drawing on practice theory, a conceptual framework was developed which enabled us to explore and make sense of the firm's sustainable innovation journey conceptualised as practices. Findings show that we can usefully treat a firm as a flow of practices that either resist or otherwise accommodate new practices deemed more sustainable.

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