Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study

Sam J. Buckton; Ioan Fazey; Bob Doherty; Maria Bryant; Steven A. Banwart; Esther Carmen; Annie Connolly; Katherine Denby; Ian Kendrick; Bill Sharpe; Ruth N. Wade; Peter Ball; Sarah Bridle; Grace Gardner; Anthonia James; Belinda Morris; Sophie Stewart; Myles Bremner; Pippa J. Chapman; Juan Pablo Cordero; Henk Geertsema; Nicola Nixon; Eugyen Suzanne Om; Maddie Sinclair; Jan Thornton; Christopher Yap; Dave Arnott; Michelle Cain; Ulrike Ehgartner; Ben Fletcher; Jack Garry; Corinna Hawkes; Alana Kluczkovski; Rebecca Lait; Adrian Lovett; Kate E. Pickett; Melanie Reed; Nathan Atkinson; Fiona Black; Mark Blakeston; Wendy Burton; Margaret Anne Defeyter; Naomi Duncan; Glynn Eastwood; Ruth Everson; Angelina Frankowska; Tim Frenneux; Dave Gledhill; Sian Goodwin; Harry Holden; Helen Ingle; Allison Kane; Rebecca Newman; Christine Parry; Victoria Robertshaw; Tom Scrope; Phillippa Sellstrom; Stephanie Slater; Kim Smith; Ruth Stacey; Gary Stott; Alastair Trickett; Jessica Wilson

doi:10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134

Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study

Sam J. Buckton, Ioan Fazey, Bob Doherty, Maria Bryant, Steven A. Banwart, Esther Carmen, Annie Connolly, Katherine Denby, Ian Kendrick, Bill Sharpe, Ruth N. Wade, Peter Ball, Sarah Bridle, Grace Gardner, Anthonia James, Belinda Morris, Sophie Stewart, Myles Bremner, Pippa J. Chapman, Juan Pablo CorderoHenk Geertsema, Nicola Nixon, Eugyen Suzanne Om, Maddie Sinclair, Jan Thornton, Christopher Yap, Dave Arnott, Michelle Cain, Ulrike Ehgartner, Ben Fletcher, Jack Garry, Corinna Hawkes, Alana Kluczkovski, Rebecca Lait, Adrian Lovett, Kate E. Pickett, Melanie Reed, Nathan Atkinson, Fiona Black, Mark Blakeston, Wendy Burton, Margaret Anne Defeyter, Naomi Duncan, Glynn Eastwood, Ruth Everson, Angelina Frankowska, Tim Frenneux, Dave Gledhill, Sian Goodwin, Harry Holden, Helen Ingle, Allison Kane, Rebecca Newman, Christine Parry, Victoria Robertshaw, Tom Scrope, Phillippa Sellstrom, Stephanie Slater, Kim Smith, Ruth Stacey, Gary Stott, Alastair Trickett, Jessica Wilson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Author summary We urgently need to foster regenerative food systems that mutually reinforce human and ecological health. However, we have limited understanding of the kinds of actions that could help such systems to emerge. Here we report on an extensive ‘Three Horizons’ futures process, conducted with diverse participation from food system researchers and practitioners, to identify core domains of action for transforming the food system of Yorkshire, UK, towards a regenerative future. After establishing the contrast between the current degenerative and envisioned future regenerative food system, six core action domains were identified that require support to enable transformation: 1) enhancing supply chain connectivity and innovation to support more diverse, purpose-led businesses; 2) scaling environmentally beneficial and regenerative farming; 3) empowering citizens to reshape food demand; 4) providing trusted, accessible knowledge support; 5) supporting schools and young people as drivers of long-term change; and 6) ensuring coordination and mutual support across domains. Our results highlight the importance of efforts to cohere actions with impacts greater than the sum of their parts, ambitious visioning, and addressing issues of power. Overall, our study sets an ambitious standard for co-developing action priorities to encourage regenerative futures.

Original language	English
Article number	e0000134
Number of pages	30
Journal	PLOS Sustainability and Transformation
Volume	3
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134
Publication status	Published - 21 Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

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10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134Licence: CC BY

Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study
© 2024 Buckton et al.
Final published version, 3.16 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Buckton, S. J., Fazey, I., Doherty, B., Bryant, M., Banwart, S. A., Carmen, E., Connolly, A., Denby, K., Kendrick, I., Sharpe, B., Wade, R. N., Ball, P., Bridle, S., Gardner, G., James, A., Morris, B., Stewart, S., Bremner, M., Chapman, P. J., ... Wilson, J. (2024). Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 3(11), Article e0000134. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134

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title = "Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study",

abstract = "Author summary We urgently need to foster regenerative food systems that mutually reinforce human and ecological health. However, we have limited understanding of the kinds of actions that could help such systems to emerge. Here we report on an extensive {\textquoteleft}Three Horizons{\textquoteright} futures process, conducted with diverse participation from food system researchers and practitioners, to identify core domains of action for transforming the food system of Yorkshire, UK, towards a regenerative future. After establishing the contrast between the current degenerative and envisioned future regenerative food system, six core action domains were identified that require support to enable transformation: 1) enhancing supply chain connectivity and innovation to support more diverse, purpose-led businesses; 2) scaling environmentally beneficial and regenerative farming; 3) empowering citizens to reshape food demand; 4) providing trusted, accessible knowledge support; 5) supporting schools and young people as drivers of long-term change; and 6) ensuring coordination and mutual support across domains. Our results highlight the importance of efforts to cohere actions with impacts greater than the sum of their parts, ambitious visioning, and addressing issues of power. Overall, our study sets an ambitious standard for co-developing action priorities to encourage regenerative futures.",

author = "Buckton, {Sam J.} and Ioan Fazey and Bob Doherty and Maria Bryant and Banwart, {Steven A.} and Esther Carmen and Annie Connolly and Katherine Denby and Ian Kendrick and Bill Sharpe and Wade, {Ruth N.} and Peter Ball and Sarah Bridle and Grace Gardner and Anthonia James and Belinda Morris and Sophie Stewart and Myles Bremner and Chapman, {Pippa J.} and Cordero, {Juan Pablo} and Henk Geertsema and Nicola Nixon and Om, {Eugyen Suzanne} and Maddie Sinclair and Jan Thornton and Christopher Yap and Dave Arnott and Michelle Cain and Ulrike Ehgartner and Ben Fletcher and Jack Garry and Corinna Hawkes and Alana Kluczkovski and Rebecca Lait and Adrian Lovett and Pickett, {Kate E.} and Melanie Reed and Nathan Atkinson and Fiona Black and Mark Blakeston and Wendy Burton and Defeyter, {Margaret Anne} and Naomi Duncan and Glynn Eastwood and Ruth Everson and Angelina Frankowska and Tim Frenneux and Dave Gledhill and Sian Goodwin and Harry Holden and Helen Ingle and Allison Kane and Rebecca Newman and Christine Parry and Victoria Robertshaw and Tom Scrope and Phillippa Sellstrom and Stephanie Slater and Kim Smith and Ruth Stacey and Gary Stott and Alastair Trickett and Jessica Wilson",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2024 Buckton et al. ",

year = "2024",

month = nov,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

journal = "PLOS Sustainability and Transformation",

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Buckton, SJ, Fazey, I , Doherty, B , Bryant, M, Banwart, SA, Carmen, E, Connolly, A, Denby, K, Kendrick, I, Sharpe, B, Wade, RN, Ball, P , Bridle, S , Gardner, G, James, A, Morris, B, Stewart, S, Bremner, M, Chapman, PJ, Cordero, JP, Geertsema, H, Nixon, N, Om, ES, Sinclair, M, Thornton, J, Yap, C, Arnott, D, Cain, M, Ehgartner, U, Fletcher, B, Garry, J, Hawkes, C, Kluczkovski, A, Lait, R, Lovett, A, Pickett, KE, Reed, M, Atkinson, N, Black, F, Blakeston, M, Burton, W, Defeyter, MA, Duncan, N, Eastwood, G, Everson, R, Frankowska, A, Frenneux, T, Gledhill, D, Goodwin, S, Holden, H, Ingle, H, Kane, A, Newman, R, Parry, C, Robertshaw, V, Scrope, T, Sellstrom, P, Slater, S, Smith, K, Stacey, R, Stott, G, Trickett, A & Wilson, J 2024, 'Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study', PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, vol. 3, no. 11, e0000134. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134

TY - JOUR

T1 - Transformative action towards regenerative food systems

T2 - A large-scale case study

AU - Buckton, Sam J.

AU - Fazey, Ioan

AU - Doherty, Bob

AU - Bryant, Maria

AU - Banwart, Steven A.

AU - Carmen, Esther

AU - Connolly, Annie

AU - Denby, Katherine

AU - Kendrick, Ian

AU - Sharpe, Bill

AU - Wade, Ruth N.

AU - Ball, Peter

AU - Bridle, Sarah

AU - Gardner, Grace

AU - James, Anthonia

AU - Morris, Belinda

AU - Stewart, Sophie

AU - Bremner, Myles

AU - Chapman, Pippa J.

AU - Cordero, Juan Pablo

AU - Geertsema, Henk

AU - Nixon, Nicola

AU - Om, Eugyen Suzanne

AU - Sinclair, Maddie

AU - Thornton, Jan

AU - Yap, Christopher

AU - Arnott, Dave

AU - Cain, Michelle

AU - Ehgartner, Ulrike

AU - Fletcher, Ben

AU - Garry, Jack

AU - Hawkes, Corinna

AU - Kluczkovski, Alana

AU - Lait, Rebecca

AU - Lovett, Adrian

AU - Pickett, Kate E.

AU - Reed, Melanie

AU - Atkinson, Nathan

AU - Black, Fiona

AU - Blakeston, Mark

AU - Burton, Wendy

AU - Defeyter, Margaret Anne

AU - Duncan, Naomi

AU - Eastwood, Glynn

AU - Everson, Ruth

AU - Frankowska, Angelina

AU - Frenneux, Tim

AU - Gledhill, Dave

AU - Goodwin, Sian

AU - Holden, Harry

AU - Ingle, Helen

AU - Kane, Allison

AU - Newman, Rebecca

AU - Parry, Christine

AU - Robertshaw, Victoria

AU - Scrope, Tom

AU - Sellstrom, Phillippa

AU - Slater, Stephanie

AU - Smith, Kim

AU - Stacey, Ruth

AU - Stott, Gary

AU - Trickett, Alastair

AU - Wilson, Jessica

PY - 2024/11/21

Y1 - 2024/11/21

N2 - Author summary We urgently need to foster regenerative food systems that mutually reinforce human and ecological health. However, we have limited understanding of the kinds of actions that could help such systems to emerge. Here we report on an extensive ‘Three Horizons’ futures process, conducted with diverse participation from food system researchers and practitioners, to identify core domains of action for transforming the food system of Yorkshire, UK, towards a regenerative future. After establishing the contrast between the current degenerative and envisioned future regenerative food system, six core action domains were identified that require support to enable transformation: 1) enhancing supply chain connectivity and innovation to support more diverse, purpose-led businesses; 2) scaling environmentally beneficial and regenerative farming; 3) empowering citizens to reshape food demand; 4) providing trusted, accessible knowledge support; 5) supporting schools and young people as drivers of long-term change; and 6) ensuring coordination and mutual support across domains. Our results highlight the importance of efforts to cohere actions with impacts greater than the sum of their parts, ambitious visioning, and addressing issues of power. Overall, our study sets an ambitious standard for co-developing action priorities to encourage regenerative futures.

AB - Author summary We urgently need to foster regenerative food systems that mutually reinforce human and ecological health. However, we have limited understanding of the kinds of actions that could help such systems to emerge. Here we report on an extensive ‘Three Horizons’ futures process, conducted with diverse participation from food system researchers and practitioners, to identify core domains of action for transforming the food system of Yorkshire, UK, towards a regenerative future. After establishing the contrast between the current degenerative and envisioned future regenerative food system, six core action domains were identified that require support to enable transformation: 1) enhancing supply chain connectivity and innovation to support more diverse, purpose-led businesses; 2) scaling environmentally beneficial and regenerative farming; 3) empowering citizens to reshape food demand; 4) providing trusted, accessible knowledge support; 5) supporting schools and young people as drivers of long-term change; and 6) ensuring coordination and mutual support across domains. Our results highlight the importance of efforts to cohere actions with impacts greater than the sum of their parts, ambitious visioning, and addressing issues of power. Overall, our study sets an ambitious standard for co-developing action priorities to encourage regenerative futures.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134

DO - 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134

M3 - Article

SN - 2767-3197

VL - 3

JO - PLOS Sustainability and Transformation

JF - PLOS Sustainability and Transformation

IS - 11

M1 - e0000134

ER -