Co-productive agility and four collaborative pathways to sustainability transformations
Global Environmental Change, vol. 72, pp. 102422
Abstract
Co-production, the collaborative weaving of research and practice by diverse societal actors, is argued to play an important role in sustainability transformations. Yet, there is still poor understanding of how to navigate the tensions that emerge in these processes. Through analyzing 32 initiatives worldwide that co-produced knowledge and action to foster sustainable social-ecological relations, we conceptualize ‘co-productive agility’ as an emergent feature vital for turning tensions into transformations. Co-productive agility refers to the willingness and ability of diverse actors to iteratively engage in reflexive dialogues to grow shared ideas and actions that would not have been possible from the outset. It relies on embedding knowledge production within processes of change to constantly recognize, reposition, and navigate tensions and opportunities. Co-productive agility opens up multiple pathways to transformation through: (1) elevating marginalized agendas in ways that maintain their integrity and broaden struggles for justice; (2) questioning dominant agendas by engaging with power in ways that challenge assumptions, (3) navigating conflicting agendas to actively transform interlinked paradigms, practices, and structures; (4) exploring diverse agendas to foster learning and mutual respect for a plurality of perspectives. We explore six process considerations that vary by these four pathways and provide a framework to enable agility in sustainability transformations. We argue that research and practice spend too much time closing down debate over different agendas for change – thereby avoiding, suppressing, or polarizing tensions, and call for more efforts to facilitate better interactions among different agendas.
Authors 41
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Josephine M. Chambers corresponding
University of Cambridge · Luc Hoffmann Institute · International Union for Conservation of Nature · Wageningen University & Research
Affiliation as printed
Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Luc Hoffmann Institute, IUCN Conservation Centre, Gland, Switzerland
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Australian National University · Luc Hoffmann Institute · International Union for Conservation of Nature
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Water Futures, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Luc Hoffmann Institute, IUCN Conservation Centre, Gland, Switzerland
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Luc Hoffmann Institute · International Union for Conservation of Nature
Affiliation as printed
Luc Hoffmann Institute, IUCN Conservation Centre, Gland, Switzerland
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Luc Hoffmann Institute · International Union for Conservation of Nature
Affiliation as printed
Luc Hoffmann Institute, IUCN Conservation Centre, Gland, Switzerland
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University of British Columbia
Affiliation as printed
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Peopled Seas Initiative, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Affiliation as printed
Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities, School of Histories and Humanities, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Instituto de Ecología · Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Affiliation as printed
Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Anthropology and Geography, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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University of Colorado Boulder
Affiliation as printed
Program in Environmental Design, University of Colorado Boulder, CO, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation · CSIRO Land and Water · James Cook University
Affiliation as printed
CSIRO Land and Water and James Cook University Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, Carins, Australia
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Australian National University
Affiliation as printed
Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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Wageningen University & Research · Nelson Mandela University
Affiliation as printed
Earth Observation and Environmental Informatics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
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Stockholm Resilience Centre · Stockholm University
Affiliation as printed
Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Affiliation as printed
Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
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Marja J. Spierenburg Aachen
Leiden University · Stellenbosch University
Affiliation as printed
Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Stockholm Resilience Centre · Stockholm University
Affiliation as printed
Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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University of British Columbia · McGill University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Natural Resource Science and Bieler School of Environment , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec , Canada
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Peopled Seas Initiative, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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University of Jos · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Architecture, Urban & Regional Planning, LTD. , Hod HaSharon , Israel
Architecture, Urban & Regional Planning, LTD., Hod HaSharon, Israel
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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Affiliation as printed
School of Geography , University of Leeds , Leeds , UK
School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science , Rhodes University , Makhanda (Grahamstown) , South Africa
Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
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Australian National University · University of Jos · University of Oxford · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science , Australian National University , Australian Capital Territory , Australia
Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology , Chulalongkorn University , Pathumwan , Bangkok , Thailand
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Chulalongkorn University · University of Jos · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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University of Bern · University of Jos · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Geography & Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED) , University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland
Institute of Geography & Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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Stockholm Environment Institute · Stockholm Environment Institute · University of York
Affiliation as printed
Stockholm Environment Institute York, Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Stockholm Resilience Centre · University of Jos · Stockholm University · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Stockholm Resilience Centre , Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden
Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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Affiliation as printed
Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology , Babes ¸-Bolyai University , Cluj-Napoca , Romania
Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babes ¸-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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University of Jos · University of Oxford · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
School of Geography and the Environment , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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University of Bern · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Sciences, Innovations, Sociétés
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Geography & Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
UPEM LISIS INRA, Champs sur Marne, France
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Institute of Geography & Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Pew Charitable Trusts · University of Jos · World Wide Fund for Nature · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Fort Collins, CO, USA
The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington DC, USA
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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Pew Charitable Trusts · University of Jos · Bangor University · World Wide Fund for Nature · Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity · World Agroforestry Centre
Affiliation as printed
Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad , Casilla 653 , Santiago , Chile
Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
School of Nature Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington DC, USA
University of Jos, Nigeria ao WWF International, Gland, Switzerland
ap World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
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Affiliation as printed
School of Nature Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
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Wageningen University & Research
Affiliation as printed
Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Colorado Natural Heritage Program , Fort Collins , CO , USA
Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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