Work

Enhancing capacities for sustainability transition policy design: Lessons from French pesticide reduction plans

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: CONTEXTPublic policies are key levers to support transitions towards sustainable agri-food systems, especially in the presence of a lock-in. To better design public policies, one important challenge for policymakers is to improve policy design processes, while ensuring an active participation of stakeholders. OBJECTIVEThis article is aimed at identifying elements that limit policymakers in managing suitable collective policymaking processes for sustainability transitions. METHODSWe studied the collective elaboration of the French pesticide reduction plans. Pesticides policies are particularly complex because of the presence of a lock-in around these chemicals. To do so, we built a narration of the policy process organized by policymakers, based on semi-structured interviews and an analysis of the grey literature. We then reflected on what policymakers need to better manage a policy process to overcome the lock-in around pesticide use, using the “management situation” concept. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOur results show that to design transition policies adapted to a lock-in situation, policymakers need to develop four types of interdependent “policy capacities” (skills and resources): capacities to support collective sensemaking about the implications of the lock-in, to co-design interdependent and multi-level instruments, to co-design suitable implementation structures and to ensure learning. These results highlight an issue of adaptability and dynamic capabilities in public organizations. SIGNIFICANCEOur results provide concrete proposals to improve policy processes for transition policies aiming at systemic transformations in the agri-food sector: there is a need to develop new methods, tools, analytical resources and training programs for policymakers, to support the development of the policy capacities identified. These results also suggest several avenues for future action-research between public management, systemic agronomy, sustainability and design sciences.

Source: Agricultural Systems

DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104175

Authors: Viviane Trèves, Mourad Hannachi, Jean-Marc Meynard

Institutions: AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Sciences pour l'Action et le Développement : Activités, Produits, Territoires

Language: English

Topic: Public Policy and Administration Research

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,820