Publications
Chemical Risks

Sustainable Transformation of Food Distribution Systems - Research and Practice in a Transdisciplinary Discussion. Results from a conference session on "Sustainable Food Systems" at the 7th Annual STS Conference Graz from 7th-8th May 2018

Die transdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit mit gesellschaftlichen Akteuren ist ein richtungsweisender Trend der Nachhaltigkeitsforschung. Betrachtet man jedoch die konkrete Praxis bei wissenschaftlichen Konferenzen und Publikationen, so bleibt die Einbeziehung nichtwissenschaftlicher Akteure marginal. In diesem Artikel werden Reflexionen und Ergebnisse einer Konferenzsession diskutiert, die explizit als transdisziplinärer Dialog zwischen Forschung und Praxis über nachhaltige Lebensmittelverteilungssysteme konzipiert wurde. Die Session war Teil der 17. Grazer STS-Konferenz mit dem Titel "Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies" im Mai 2018. Im folgenden Artikel dient uns die multi-level Perspektive (MLP) auf soziotechnische Transitionen als theoretischer Rahmen. Als praktische Beispiele für alternative Lebensmittelverteilungssysteme fungieren die Nischenphänomene "Zero Waste Shops", "Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)" und "Foodcoops". Transdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit und Co-Autorenschaft ernstnehmend, wurde der Artikel zusammen mit zwei Akteuren aus Nischen geschrieben, die ihre eigenen Standpunkte und transformativen Visionen einbringen (Jenny Fuhrmann für Zero Waste Stores und David Steinwender für CSA). Transdisciplinary collaboration with societal actors is a major trend in sustainability research. However, looking at the concrete practice regarding scientific conferences and publications, the inclusion of non-scientific actors remains marginal. Going one step further, this paper provides reflections and results from a conference session which was explicitly designed as a transdisciplinary dialogue between research and practice, regarding sustainable food distribution systems. The session took place at the "17th Annual STS Conference - Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies" in Graz in May, 2018. In our paper, we use the multi-level perspective (MLP) on socio-technical transitions as a theoretical staging, while the niche phenomena of "zero waste shops", "community supported agriculture (CSA)" and "foodcoops" serve as practical examples of alternative food distribution systems. Taking transdisciplinary collaboration and co-authorship seriously the paper was written together with two practitioners of these niche innovations (Jenny Fuhrmann for Zero Waste Stores and David Steinwender for CSA) who contribute their points of view and transformative visions.

Publication Info

Published in

ISOE-Materialien Soziale Ökologie. 53 (2018) Frankfurt am Main: ISOE - Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung.

Availability

ISBN/ISSN: 1614-8193

Access publication online (isoe.de)

Quote

Kramm, Johanna, Lukas Sattlegger, Jenny Fuhrmann, David Steinwender (2018): Sustainable Transformation of Food Distribution Systems - Research and Practice in a Transdisciplinary Discussion. Results from a conference session on "Sustainable Food Systems" at the 7th Annual STS Conference Graz from 7th-8th May 2018. ISOE-Materialien Soziale Ökologie, 53. Frankfurt am Main: ISOE - Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung

More on the ISOE-Authors

  • Dr. Johanna Kramm

    Dr. Johanna Kramm

    Head of the Knowledge Processes and Transformations Hub
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More infos on the project

PlastX – Plastics as a systemic risk for social-ecological supply systems
Chemical Risks

PlastX – Plastics as a systemic risk for social-ecological supply systems

The junior research group PlastX, led by ISOE, is examining the societal role of plastic and the associated environmental impacts. Within this framework, the team of social and natural scientists is attempting to find out how plastic might be used more sustainably.

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Research Unit

Sustainable Society

Resource-intensive consumption patterns cannot be sustained within planetary boundaries. But technological innovations alone are not enough to bring about the necessary changes. Social innovations that could reduce resource consumption are not yet being sufficiently utilized since these innovations require far-reaching changes in everyday practices, infrastructures and institutions.

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