Article

4. Design Pathways part1: discussion on literature

4. Design pathways

4.1.    

 

Eline

Maya

Melchior

Milan

Sustainability

Transitions

The transition of a process from an unsustainable to a sustainable process.

Sustainability transitions can be defined as the process needed to go from an unsustainable process to a sustainable one.

Undergoing a change towards a system that will allow for a 100% self-sufficient Texel with regards to food, secured as well for future generations.

going from an unsustainable situation to a sustainable one.

(Socio-technical) pathways

The steps that need to be taken in the social and technical field to achieve the premeditated sustainable goal.

Pathways refer to the successive actions that need to be taken in order to achieve a specified result.

Means used and actions taken in a system where technology and society are strongly coupled. Such as a marketplace where food producers and consumers meet and learn from each other

the path from now until the goal. This pathways has multiple steps/moments to aim at.

Governance Approaches

This refers to the steps that can be taken by the governance, like subsidies or taxes, to achieve the premeditated sustainable goal.

Governance approaches can be defined as the steps taken by the ruling/controlling organization in order to reach a certain end-goal. For ‘Feed Texel’ this could be translated into subsidies for locally produced products; or adding a certain label that tells consumers products are produced locally.

The means a government has to come into contact/action with its other parties. For Texel this could be subsidies, offering information, sharing centres etc.

the way of decision making of the public institutions.

Grassroots innovation

This are innovations that are initiated from the bottom up and steer towards sustainable innovation.

Grassroots innovations can be defined as bottom up (community-organized) approaches  towards the realisation of sustainability. For ‘Feed Texel’ this could mean the creation of a magazine by the locals of the island to promote the consumption of locally produced foods.

This starting new ideas and technologies from the roots/bottom up to the top. So initiatives that start with the citizens of Texel and can expand to all of Texel.

Grassroots innovation describes literally innovation from the bottom (roots). This means that the innovation does not come from the authorities but from the ‘regular’ inhabitants.

Sustainability transitions is the process needed to change from an unsustainable situation to a sustainable version. For ‘Feed Texel’ this is the process from the current food system, to one in which the consumption demand can be answered by the production on the island itself.

The process needed to undertake a sustainable transitions can be done through a socio technical pathway; the successive steps to be taken to reach this goal. Every step can be a certain milestone in the process, for ‘Feed Texel’ this could be the moment a platform for information about locally produced food is realised, or the moment a farmer’s market is held.

The steps on this socio technological pathway can be achieved by two different initiatives; the first being the approach by the governance. Governance approaches could be laws, taxes or subsidies. In the case of ‘Fee Texel’ the governance could give a subsidy for locally produced foods.

Another approach is those of the people themselves, the grassroots innovations. This are bottom up approaches by the community to reach a certain goal. An example could be that the locals of Texel start a magazine or a cooking club that focuses on locally grown fruits and vegetables.