Backcasting supports cross-sectoral collaboration and social-technical innovation bundling: case studies in agri-food systems

By:
Roseline Remans, Heather Zornetzer, Daniel Mason-D’Croz, Cody Kugler, Philip Thornton, Charlotte Pedersen Francoise Cattaneo, Debjani Samantaray, Inge D. Brouwer, Diane Bosch, Tesfaye Hailu Bekele, Silvia Martinez, Yovita Ivanova, Jose Sanchez-Choy, Jonat
Date:
2024
Resource type:
Peer review

This paper discusses the urgent need to transform food systems to address global challenges related to climate, biodiversity, equity, and nutrition. While many agricultural and food innovations exist, they often focus on isolated issues rather than broader systemic change. To bridge this gap, the paper explores the use of a tailored backcasting approach across various initiatives, including national dialogues, business innovation challenges, multi-stakeholder platforms, and academic courses. The approach helps participants connect innovations with broader system-wide goals, anticipate tradeoffs, and foster cross-sector collaboration. The findings suggest that backcasting encourages a shift from single-solution approaches to integrated social and technical innovations, strengthening holistic food systems change.