Food systems and transdisciplinarity: Conceptual and methodological approaches to systemic sustainability transformations

Abstract

Societal transformations are increasingly discussed in sustainability science as a way forward to address the various social-ecological crises of our time. Diverse cultural and epistemological perspectives on what constitutes meaningful societal objectives, structures, and solutions need to be negotiated in transformative scientific approaches, while dealing with the complexity of science– society interactions. Transdisciplinarity has evolved as an appropriate mode of research into such problems and democratic processes can ensure the greatest possible legitimacy (Padmanabhan, 2018) of such endeavours. Food systems are a key topic for sustainability transformations (GSDR, 2019). They have severe impacts on natural and social-ecological systems but are simultaneously affected by the consequences of global change processes and have to deliver crucial outcomes for human and non-human well-being. The interconnectedness of food systems with other important systems therefore requires integration of justice and inequality questions into other dimensions of sustainability. This habilitation thesis’ overall aim is to contribute to the scientific field of sustainability transformations. It has two main foci, a.) the thematic area of food system transformations and b.) the conceptual and methodological aspects of transdisciplinarity as a mode of research.