In a paper published in the Proceedings of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study, NOMIS researchers Saadi Lahlou and Helga Nowotny and colleagues present the preliminary findings of their project, The Socioscope: A Pioneering Methodology for Understanding Societal Transitions. The paper addresses regulation, the asymmetry of social contracts and the practitioners’ motivations regarding food sustainability.
Abstract
The Food Socioscope project aims to understand the systemic transition towards greater sustainability in the food sector. It has two main components: a participatory data collection with a community directory, and a comprehensive research effort. The first component builds a community of practitioners from various sectors (e.g., companies, NGOs, public authorities) who manage initiatives promoting food sustainability. This community, facilitated by the Food Socioscope Netboard, fosters knowledge exchange by publishing key characteristics of these initiatives online. The second component collects qualitative data through in-depth field interviews, site visits and videos with practitioners, following a rigorously tested protocol. This in-depth data, capturing activities from micro to macro levels, feeds into the research project to improve understanding of systemic change in food sustainability. The research spans the entire food supply chain and examines the supporting infrastructure and organizational setups. By analysing 600 initiatives, worldwide, within their broader contexts, the project aims to identify mechanisms of transition, including barriers and success factors. To collect, process and analyse its vast amount of qualitative data, in multiple languages, the project uses novel protocols, AI models, network analysis, and other quantitative methods. This paper presents the project and preliminary findings regarding regulation, the asymmetry of social contracts and the practitioners’ motivations.
Read the Proceedings of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study publication: The Food Socioscope: A new instrument to better understand transitions towards greater sustainability
Feature image: Urban Farmers Pro intelligent hydroponic technology for agriculture. (Photo by Camilo Ordóñez / © Paris Institute for Advanced Study)
