The Defining Characteristics of Agroecosystem Living Labs

Chris McPhee, Margaret Bancerz, Muriel Mambrini-Doudet, François Chrétien, Christian Huyghe and Javier Gracia-Garza
Additional contact information
Chris McPhee: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa Research and Development Centre, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
Margaret Bancerz: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, National Headquarters Complex for the Agriculture Portfolio (NHCAP), 1305 Baseline Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C5, Canada
Muriel Mambrini-Doudet: INRAE, 147 rue de l’Université, CEDEX 07, 75338 Paris, France
François Chrétien: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Québec Research and Development Centre, 2560 Hochelaga Boulevard, Québec City, QC G1V 2J3, Canada
Christian Huyghe: INRAE, 147 rue de l’Université, CEDEX 07, 75338 Paris, France
Javier Gracia-Garza: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, National Headquarters Complex for the Agriculture Portfolio (NHCAP), 1305 Baseline Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C5, Canada

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-25

Abstract: In response to environmental, economic, and social challenges, the living labs approach to innovation is receiving increasing attention within the agricultural sector. In this paper, we propose a set of defining characteristics for an emerging type of living lab intended to increase the sustainability and resilience of agriculture and agri-food systems: the “agroecosystem living lab”. Drawing on first-hand knowledge of case studies of large initiatives from Canada and France and supported by eight other cases from the literature, we highlight the unique nature of agroecosystem living labs and their distinct challenges with respect to their aims, activities, participants, and context. In particular, these living labs are characterized by exceptionally high levels of scientific research; long innovation cycles with high uncertainty due to external factors; and the high number and diversity of stakeholders involved. Both procedurally and conceptually, we link to earlier efforts undertaken by researchers seeking to identify urban living labs and rural living labs as distinct, new types of living labs. By highlighting what makes agroecosystem living labs unique and their commonalities with other types of living labs, we hope to encourage their further study and help practitioners better understand their implementation and operational challenges and opportunities.

Keywords: living lab; agroecosystem; agriculture; innovation; characteristics; sustainability; typologies; placed-based (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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