GET WITH THE ACTION. Change agency in sustainable food systems transformations. Insights from Chile

Summary

This thesis is aligned with the global consensus around the need to transform current mainstream food systems into sustainable ones, and does so by examining how agency plays out in sustainable food systems transitions. ‘Agency’ is the capacity to take action that makes a difference over the unfolding of events. Change agents are thus the actors who challenge, disrupt or alter the prevailing structures that underpin mainstream food systems.

The thesis concludes about the messy, contingent, situational, dynamic, multi-faceted and relational nature of agency; which is ever-unfolding in unpredictable ways, and cannot be attributed to, nor controlled by, single change agent organizations. Meaningful transformation always involves a multiplicity of diverse actors –both human and non-human– in plural ways. While this challenges the possibility for change agents to plan and steer transitions, the relational natures of agency offers opportunities for them to continuously reflect and (re)work their relations to other humans and non-humans towards their transformative goals.