The Role of Consumer-Citizens and Connectedness to Nature in the Sustainable Transition to Agroecological Food Systems: The Mediation of Innovative Business Models and a Multi-Level Perspective

Abstract

Conventional agricultural systems have contributed to social, economic and environmental problems and are the main threat to global sustainability. In response, theoretical frameworks to describe the transition to sustainable food systems have been proposed, emphasizing the necessity to shift from farm-level solutions to a focus on interactions within the entire value chain, from production to consumption. Despite the emphasis on the importance and potential of consumers to contribute to sustainable agri-food transitions, approaches to their role have remained within the traditional, linear supply chain framework. Marketing approaches view consumers as passive actors, limited to voting with their wallets, which has deepened the disconnection between consumers, producers and nature, resulting in a triple fracture. We analyze the role of the consumer in agri-food systems, contrasting marketing approaches with other consumers/citizens concepts and locate them within sustainability transition frameworks and a multi-level perspective. We discuss the re-establishment of the connection between farmers and consumers and human–nature connectedness and explore this connection mediated through innovative business models, which act as niche innovations with the capacity to influence regimes and landscapes within the multi-level perspective. The role of consumers/citizens in the co-creation of innovative business models is also addressed.

Reconnecting with Nature through Good Governance: Inclusive Policy across Scales

“…Good governance in public policy is a precondition for transformation, but it is complemented by actions at the consumer [83], farmer [84], and network [85] level that build trust and shared values [86]. Multi-scalar initiatives, such as those highlighted in this review, help reconnect people with nature through inclusive multilateral frameworks that encourage co-governance and place-based learning.…”

A systematic review of the literature on agri-food business models: critical review and research agenda

“…Among these papers, it is worth highlighting that of Mehrabi et al (2022), who present a list of new SBMs in the agri-food sector that, while not exhaustive, perfectly illustrates the new trends in this field. Based on this classification, the following is a list of innovative SBMs.…”

A Transformative (r)Evolution of the Research on Agriculture through Fostering Human-Nature Connectedness—A Special Issue Editorial

“…A long-standing framework such agroecology [24] seems to be one of the most suitable methods to include both the ecological and the social dimensions of agri-food systems [25,26] and eventually to contribute to agri-food system change [27]. In this SI, different contributions include agroecology as a framework for the transition toward more sustainable agri-food systems (e.g., [28][29][30][31]). However, so far, in the Global North, the majority of the proposed frameworks have been based on applying incremental or reformative practices (e.g., sustainable intensification, sustainable agriculture, conservation agriculture, or integrated pest management) [32], whereas agroecology has been more frequently applied in countries of the Global South [33].…”