Farming-as-a-service initiative in the making: Insights from emerging proto-practices in Sweden

Abstract

This paper focus on the emergence of farming-as-a-service initiatives that combines ideas about controlled environment agriculture with digital technologies to produce food in cities. These initiatives are founded upon the view that it can secure local food provision while reducing the environmental impacts of food systems. While there are promising value claims surrounding such initiatives, knowledge about their actual effects is limited. This paper begins to address this research gap by investigating the early uptake of such practices in user context. Exploratory case study research was conducted focusing on the emergence of farming-as-a-service initiatives in Sweden. Drawing on practice theory of innovation, it explores the implementation of digitally augmented and service-oriented farming practices in user contexts. The findings shows that its implementation follows a transformational alignment process where new practices detach or attach to existing flows of practices. While new practices of service-oriented farming are fluid and unstable in relation to established practices, they hold transformative potential. Thus, our study contributes with an in-depth understanding of the implementation of farming-as-a-service and highlight potential implication for further uptake of such practices.