Research on agro-food sustainability transitions: A systematic review of research themes and an analysis of research gaps

Abstract

Agro-food sustainability transitions refer to fundamental changes necessary to move towards sustainable agriculture and food systems. The young field of research on sustainability transitions in agro-food systems is still largely ill-defined. In order to delineate its contours, this paper provides a critical review of the main research themes and highlights research gaps. A search carried out on Scopus in January 2018 yielded 549 records and 111 research articles were included in the systematic review. Research gaps were identified through an analysis of the alignment of the research field with the research agenda of the Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN) and its research themes i.e. implementation strategies for managing transitions; power and politics; civil society, social movements and culture in transitions; role of industries and firms in transitions; transitions in everyday life and practice (sustainable consumption); geography of transitions; and modelling transitions. The strand of research on agro-food sustainability transitions is multifaceted and diverse; it addresses all the themes of the STRN's research agenda. However, it focuses on transition management and sustainable consumption, while it largely underserves the themes dealing with the role of civil society and firms in transitions as well as the geography of transitions. Therefore, research on agro-food sustainability transitions should fill research gaps relating to agency (cf. role of social movements and civil society, firms and industries, etc.) and spatiality/geography in transitions. The paper suggests that these two research topics should be addressed in an articulated research agenda that accommodates the peculiarities of sustainability transitions processes in the agro-food system.