Mainstreaming innovation: a new social contract for the food system
From food innovation to the new normal
Can farmers’ markets, food cooperatives and short food supply chains really contribute to a more sustainable and fairer food system? And what does it take for such innovative initiatives to grow from local experiments into part of everyday practice?In his PhD thesis, Mainstreaming innovation: a new social contract for the food system, Leonid Dvortsin investigated how food innovations can grow into more than just local alternatives. Drawing on examples from the Netherlands, Italy and Ukraine, he examined short food supply chains, local markets, food cooperatives and the public procurement of sustainable food, among other initiatives.
The research shows that innovation is not simply about having a good idea or motivated entrepreneurs and consumers. To bring about lasting change, innovative initiatives also need to connect with governments, businesses, civil society organisations and existing institutions. Rules, trust and cooperation can determine whether an innovation remains small or becomes more widely adopted. At the same time, the comparison between three countries shows that there is no universal pathway to change: the local social and institutional context matters.
Dvortsin describes this transformation as part of a new ‘social contract’ for food: new agreements about the responsibilities of citizens, businesses and governments for how food is produced, sold and consumed.A more sustainable food system therefore requires not only new ideas, but also new rules that can help successful food innovations become the new normal.