Correspondence: Natalia.Mehle@hvl.no

Summary of the Session’s Theme and Objectives

The industrial food systems should not only strive to become economically sound but also environmentally and socially viable (Jakobsen et al. 2022). Sustainability transition in the food industry is crucial for addressing multiple interlocking challenges in the modern society such as climate change, biodiversity loss, animal welfare and food security. However, currently, food industry contributes to aggravating these problems (Herrero et al., 2020). For instance, the aquaculture industry has recently been confronted with numerous environmental and ethical issues (ocean floor waste, escape of fish, feed ingredients, diseases and use of veterinary medicines, animal welfare) and been criticized for limited contribution to society (Fløysand & Jakobsen, 2017; Sjøtun et al., 2022). The greenhouse gases emissions from the agricultural sector are also increasing at a global level (Chataut et al., 2023).

Sustainability transitions are multi-dimensional and multi-scalar transformation processes through which industries and production systems develop into more sustainable modes of production (Markard et al., 2012), balancing the economic, environmental, and societal dimensions (Stoknes, 2021). While the environmental dimension has been on the agenda in industrial transformation studies for some time (Jakobsen et al., 2022), in this special session we want to take a step further by including the societal dimension and approaching the food industry as a social-technical system embedded in society and influenced by wider actor-network configurations and institutions.

The session will thus explore the dilemmas associated with rebalancing the economic, environmental, and social dimensions in the food industry. In particular, we will discuss how food industry can develop business models that are more regenerative than wasteful and more inclusive than exclusive. Furthermore, we will address the development and implementation of new policy instruments that nurture new markets, mobilise resources for innovative food production, promote policy experimentation and coordinate multi-level governance (Jakobsen et al. 2022; Mazzucato et al., 2020; Rohracher et al., 2023; Uyarra et al., 2020).

List of Topics to Be Presented in the Special Session

• Barriers and drivers for ongoing sustainability transition processes in the food industry.
• Role of policy for these transition processes.
• Developing sustainable business models for the food industry.
• Economic viability and environmental effects of new technological solutions in the food industry.
• Market and consumer perspectives on sustainability dimensions in the food industry.
• Policy recommendations for the sustainability transition in the food industry.
• These topics serve as a starting point for discussion, and additional contributions are welcomed to address the broader theme of the sustainability transition in the food industry.

Key References

Chataut, G., Bhatta, B., Joshi, D., Subedi, K., & Kafle, K. (2023). Greenhouse gases emission from agricultural soil: A review. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 11, 100533.
Fløysand, A., & Jakobsen, S-E. (2017). Industrial renewal: Narratives in play in the development of green technologies in the Norwegian salmon farming industry. The Geographical Journal, 183(2), 140-151.
Herrero, M., Thornton, P.K., Mason-D’Croz, D. et al. (2020). Innovation can accelerate the transition towards a sustainable food system. Nature Food, 1, 266-272.
Jakobsen, S-E. Uyarra, E., Njøs. R., & Fløysand, A. (2022). Policy action for green restructuring in specialized industrial regions. European Urban and Regional Studies, 29(3), 312-331.
Markard, J, Raven, R., & Truffer, B. (2012). Sustainability transitions: An emerging field of research and its prospects. Research Policy, 41, 955-967.
Mazzucato, M., Kattel, R., & Ryan-Collins, J. (2020). Challenge-driven innovation policy: Towards a new policy toolkit.  Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, 20, 421-437.
Rohracher, H., Coenen, L., & Kordas, O. (2023). Mission incomplete: Layered practices of monitoring and evaluation in Swedish transformative innovation policy. Science and Public Policy, 50(2), 336-349.
Sjøtun, S., Fløysand, A., Wiig, H., & Hopp, J.Z. (2022). Multi-level agency and transformative capacity for environmental risk reduction in the Norwegian salmon farming industry. Frontiers in Human Dynamics, 4, 1062058.
Stoknes, P.E. (2021). Tomorrow’s economy. A guide to creating healthy green growth. The MIT Press. 
Uyarra, E., Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, J.M., Flanagan, K., & Magro, E. (2020). Public procurement, innovation and industrial policy: Rationales, roles, capabilities and implementation. Research Policy, 49(1), 103844.