A call to expand disciplinary boundaries so that social scientific imagination and practice are central to quests for 'responsible' digital agri-food innovation

Bibliographic Data

ID4949802
AuthorsSimon Fielke (0000-0003-1166-231X, Sustainability Pathways CSIRO Land and Water Brisbane Australia, corresponding author), Kelly Bronson (0000-0002-5365-4919, Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ottawa Ottawa Canada), Michael Carolan (0000-0002-2691-0454, College of Liberal Arts Colorado State University Fort Collins USA), Callum Eastwood (0000-0002-1072-5078, DairyNZ Lincoln New Zealand), Vaughan Higgins (0000-0001-9350-1282, School of Social Science University of Tasmania Hobart Australia), Emma Jakku (0000-0001-8083-5785, Sustainability Pathways CSIRO Land and Water Brisbane Australia), Laurens Klerkx (0000-0002-1664-886X, Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands), Ruth Nettle (0000-0001-8347-6693, Rural Innovation Research Group University of Melbourne Melbourne Australia), Áine Regan (0000-0002-3754-0014, Rural Economy and Development Programme Teagasc Athenry Ireland), David Christian Rose (0000-0002-5249-9021, University of Reading), Leanne C Townsend (0000-0001-6876-7791, Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences The James Hutton Institute Aberdeen UK), Steven A Wolf (0000-0002-8137-1772, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Cornell University Ithaca USA)
Year2022
Volume62
Issue2
Pages151-161
Publication date2022-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociologia Ruralis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0199 • E-ISSN: 1467-9523
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/soru.12376
OpenAlexW4225130886
LanguageEN
Citations received20
References cited53

This editorial introduces a special issue (SI) concerning quests for responsible digital agri-food innovation. We present our interpretations of the concepts of responsible innovation and digital agri-food innovation and show why they can and have been productively interrelated with social science theories and methods. First, each of the articles in this SI is briefly introduced and synthesised around three themes: (1) the need for a critique of digital 'solutionism' in current interdisciplinary research, development and innovation settings; (2) that social science contributes value via the ideas it brings to life to challenge dominant power dynamics and (3) that social scientific imagination and practice is a valuable long-term investment to both mitigate risk but also embrace socioenvironmental opportunities as we face ongoing sustainability crises into the future. Second, we identify future research considerations arising within the field, sitting at the intersection of social science and agricultural sociotechnical transitions. Our insights relate to challenges and opportunities to 'do' social science within the context of contemporary and nascent transitions such as increasing digitalisation. Researchers trained in social science theory and practice can make distinctive contributions to agri-food innovation processes by making social stakes visible and by advancing inclusive processes of research policy and technology design

Context (archaeology) · Discipline · Engineering ethics · Face (sociological concept) · Knowledge management · Political science · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Sociotechnical system · Sustainability · Computer Science · CRISPR and Genetic Engineering · Engineering · Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior · Organic Food and Agriculture

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access