Territorial knowledge governance. Pursuing sustainability in agriculture and food clusters

Summary

The thesis Territorial knowledge governance: Pursuing sustainability in agriculture and food clusters explores how knowledge processes achieve coordination in advancing sustainable development in agriculture and food clusters. In these clusters, related companies aim to increase the sustainability of their firms, value chains and territories, supported by stakeholders from public authorities, science, society and business. The thesis presents an analytical framework for territorial knowledge governance and describes case studies from the Netherlands, India and Mexico. The thesis addresses two knowledge gaps: 1) the limited attention to the coordinative and transformative aspects of knowledge and learning in modes of governance literature; and 2) a lack of a territorial-economic approach in the literature on sustainability governance. The thesis provides researchers with some guidance in how to support and participate in sustainability transitions in agriculture and food and related fields, such as the circular economy and climate change.