Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain

The conventional dominant global agri-food system is a main driver in the Anthropocene: food production entails profound global environmental changes from greenhouse gas emissions to biodiversity loss, and shifting diets further impact planetary and human health. Innovative approaches are needed to...

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Main Authors: Guerrero Lara, Leonie, Pereira, Laura, Ravera, Federica, Jiménez Aceituno, Amanda
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107766
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author Guerrero Lara, Leonie
Pereira, Laura
Ravera, Federica
Jiménez Aceituno, Amanda
author_browse Guerrero Lara, Leonie
Jiménez Aceituno, Amanda
Pereira, Laura
Ravera, Federica
author_facet Guerrero Lara, Leonie
Pereira, Laura
Ravera, Federica
Jiménez Aceituno, Amanda
author_sort Guerrero Lara, Leonie
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The conventional dominant global agri-food system is a main driver in the Anthropocene: food production entails profound global environmental changes from greenhouse gas emissions to biodiversity loss, and shifting diets further impact planetary and human health. Innovative approaches are needed to shift towards more sustainable, equitable and healthy agri-food systems. Building on the increasing recognition of the relevance of traditional agroecological knowledge (TAeK) in sustainable food systems, this paper aims to describe innovative agri-food initiatives and explore how the use and valorization of TAeK may transform conventional agri-food systems. It employs a case-study approach in Spain, where we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 representatives of alternative agri-food initiatives. We found that, to promote sustainable agri-food systems, TAeK has to span from farm-to-fork. Innovative agroecological practices and knowledge help to safeguard biocultural diversity, while gastronomic knowledge among consumers on how to process and prepare local varieties and species is crucial for the implementation of shorter value chains. We discuss how TAeK enhances the success of conventional systems of innovation, challenging dominant epistemological frameworks. By scaling deep (changing values), scaling out (dissemination, reproduction) and scaling up (changing institutions), the agri-food initiatives may act on leverage points to enable broader transformation of the Spanish agri-food system.
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spelling CGSpace1077662025-02-19T13:42:41Z Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain Guerrero Lara, Leonie Pereira, Laura Ravera, Federica Jiménez Aceituno, Amanda climate change agriculture food security sustainability The conventional dominant global agri-food system is a main driver in the Anthropocene: food production entails profound global environmental changes from greenhouse gas emissions to biodiversity loss, and shifting diets further impact planetary and human health. Innovative approaches are needed to shift towards more sustainable, equitable and healthy agri-food systems. Building on the increasing recognition of the relevance of traditional agroecological knowledge (TAeK) in sustainable food systems, this paper aims to describe innovative agri-food initiatives and explore how the use and valorization of TAeK may transform conventional agri-food systems. It employs a case-study approach in Spain, where we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 representatives of alternative agri-food initiatives. We found that, to promote sustainable agri-food systems, TAeK has to span from farm-to-fork. Innovative agroecological practices and knowledge help to safeguard biocultural diversity, while gastronomic knowledge among consumers on how to process and prepare local varieties and species is crucial for the implementation of shorter value chains. We discuss how TAeK enhances the success of conventional systems of innovation, challenging dominant epistemological frameworks. By scaling deep (changing values), scaling out (dissemination, reproduction) and scaling up (changing institutions), the agri-food initiatives may act on leverage points to enable broader transformation of the Spanish agri-food system. 2019-02-26 2020-03-13T16:11:40Z 2020-03-13T16:11:40Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107766 en Open Access MDPI Guerrero Laza L, Pereira L, Ravera F, Jiménez-Aceituno A. 2019. Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain. Sustainability 11(5):1222.
spellingShingle climate change
agriculture
food security
sustainability
Guerrero Lara, Leonie
Pereira, Laura
Ravera, Federica
Jiménez Aceituno, Amanda
Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain
title Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain
title_full Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain
title_fullStr Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain
title_full_unstemmed Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain
title_short Flipping the Tortilla: Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain
title_sort flipping the tortilla social ecological innovations and traditional ecological knowledge for more sustainable agri food systems in spain
topic climate change
agriculture
food security
sustainability
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107766
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