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Scholars and funding bodies alike are increasingly calling for transformative research that delivers socially robust and impact-oriented outcomes. This paper argues that the Human Scale Development approach (HSDA) introduced by Max-Neef and colleagues in Latin America during the 1980s can serve as a method for transformative science (TSc). HSDA is both a theory and a participatory methodology and thus contributes toward fulfilling the objectives of TSc, which are scientific, practical and educational. In this paper, we begin by explicating how the fundamental human needs (FHN) approach of the HSDA can support scholars and practitioners alike in addressing complex sustainability challenges. We then refer to the methodological adaptations to the original proposal that we have previously developed to illustrate how Max-Neef's methodological approach might be further extended and to demonstrate how these changes can strengthen HSDA and make it even more useful for generating knowledge needed in sustainability transformations. To inform and support research that builds on the co-production of knowledge, we test HSDA with regard to TSc quality criteria and show how it adds value to the existing canon of TSc methods. To this end, we develop an analytical framework that can be deployed to assess the quality of TSc methods.

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The methodology consisted of two approaches: a quantitative approach, wherein a multinomial logit model was applied to data obtained from questionnaires completed by 384 southern producers, and a qualitative approach that included in-depth individual interviews with professionals, officials of public institutions, and producer focus groups. The main results show that producers with high educational levels, large farms, and production oriented toward the export market who are located in areas with a high concentration of neighbors using CF, who belong to organizations, and who need technical assistance from agribusiness firms are highly likely to use a CF system. However, despite the individual effect of each factor, their combined effect is related to the highest use of CF. Moreover, the lack of a positive relationship between risk-averse farmers and the use of contracts could be a sign of a problem in the way the contracts are established in southern Chile.