Arts-based interventions as catalysts for strengthening human-nature connectedness
A case study on the Biellese landscape and its local food practices
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6414286 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rimvydė Bernadeta Muzikevičiūtė (0009-0000-0163-0600, University of Groningen, corresponding author), Marline Lisette Wilders (0000-0002-3710-0051, University of Groningen) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 3097-3111 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Agriculture and Human Values (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0889-048X • E-ISSN: 1572-8366 |
| Publisher | Springer Nature (Netherlands) (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10460-025-10774-5 |
| OpenAlex | W4412792547 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
Society’s increasing disconnection from nature, both on individual and collective levels, is often defined as a root cause of current environmental crises and biodiversity loss. This disconnection also affects food consumption practices and understanding of food supply chains and systems. For this reason, human-nature connectedness (HNC) is widely recognized in global sustainability agendas as a way to fight unsustainable practices and behaviors. However, there is still limited knowledge on how strengthening this relationship can create opportunities for a systemic change in food consumption and production. Moreover, recent studies and approaches to nurture HNC fall short on encompassing multisensory experiences and embodied knowledge. In this paper, we apply arts-based interventions (ABI) to study HNC in relation to place-based food practices in Biella, Italy. Specifically, we draw on the five types of connections to nature (material, experiential, cognitive, emotional, and philosophical) to explore the HNC of individuals. The results show that engaging in artistic practices and awakening one’s senses can deepen one’s understanding of and connection to a local landscape and its biodiversity, leading to more environmentally friendly food practices. This approach is thus valuable for nurturing deep leverage points in sustainability transitions on a scale of local food practices. This development provides a comprehensive understanding of how individuals can reconnect to place-based landscapes while mobilizing agency towards more responsible and environmentally conscious food production and consumption (SDG 12
Business · Development studies · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental planning · Environmental sociology · Geography · Political science · Psychological intervention · Social connectedness · Social science · Sociology · The arts · Animal and Plant Science Education · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health
Arts Based Research
The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health
Connectedness as a Core Conservation Concern
The Information Deficit Model and Climate Change Communication
Extinction of experience
What are the Benefits of Interacting with Nature?
Human–nature connectedness as a pathway to sustainability
Associations between pro-environmental behaviour and neighbourhood nature, nature visit frequency and nature appreciation
Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour
The connectedness to nature scale
Engaging the Public with Climate Change
Skilled Visions
Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research
“Face the cow”
Beyond words – the potential of arts-based research on human-nature connectedness
Key advantages of the leverage points perspective to shape human-nature relations
Elucidating human–nature connectedness in three EU countries
Human–nature connection
Sustainability Science with Ozzy Osbourne, Julia Roberts and Ai Weiwei
Leverage points for sustainability transformation
Reconnecting with nature for sustainability
The role of a nature-based program in fostering multiple connections to nature
Passionate participation
Environmental Values
Leverage points for sustainability transformation
Gender, Values, and Environmentalism
New Ways of Thinking about Environmentalism
Research-Creation
The Nature Relatedness Scale
The walking interview
Place
Doing Sensory Ethnography
Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly? The Green-Feminine Stereotype and Its Effect on Sustainable Consumption
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |