Case Study Databases
Drawing from an extensive set of empirical cases across food, energy, climate, and broader sustainable development, we have developed a set of databases that demonstrates how place-based evidence can provide concrete, transferable examples for the many ways sustainability transitions can be pursued and thus inform future actions. It also creates a platform to gather evidence, build support, and scale transformative approaches that have proven to be successful in a localised context across places.
Agri-food systems are a key entry point in all our databases, but they extend beyond agri-food and to other interacting sectors such as energy transitions, climate mitigation, and broader sustainable development pathways.
The primary aims of these databases are to:
- Aggregate information across places in a consistent and uniform way through a curated collection of inspiring, practical examples, tagged and searchable, to improve accessibility and transparency of credible information on transition evidence. This information could support the establishment of benchmarks, progress tracking, and effective policy design.
- Analyse insights from both domestic and global case studies, demonstrating how various entities such as governments, research institutions, NGOs, and industries implement transition and transformation strategies in diverse projects and contexts.
- Facilitate access to insights and enhance knowledge transfer between different cases and experiences of others in different locations with similar drivers in a more coordinated way.
The benefits of these databases are in:
- Elevating awareness of the importance and tangible benefits of sustainability transitions in agri-food systems through transparent sharing of success stories and comparative framework to better understand the similarities and differences of transitions in relation to their drivers beyond the limits of specific sectors or contexts.
- Transforming scepticism into advocacy by presenting convincing evidence from the case studies that reveal the practical advantages of transition initiatives and corroborate practical know-how knowledge of stakeholders with scientific evidence, thereby constructing a solid, pluralistic and trustworthy knowledge base.
Drawing from an extensive set of empirical cases across food, energy, climate, and broader sustainable development, we have developed a set of databases that demonstrates how place-based evidence can provide concrete, transferable examples for the many ways sustainability transitions can be pursued and thus inform future actions. It also creates a platform to gather evidence, build support, and scale transformative approaches that have proven to be successful in a localised context across places.
Agri-food systems are a key entry point in all our databases, but they extend beyond agri-food and to other interacting sectors such as energy transitions, climate mitigation, and broader sustainable development pathways.
The primary aims of these databases are to:
- Aggregate information across places in a consistent and uniform way through a curated collection of inspiring, practical examples, tagged and searchable, to improve accessibility and transparency of credible information on transition evidence. This information could support the establishment of benchmarks, progress tracking, and effective policy design.
- Analyse insights from both domestic and global case studies, demonstrating how various entities such as governments, research institutions, NGOs, and industries implement transition and transformation strategies in diverse projects and contexts.
- Facilitate access to insights and enhance knowledge transfer between different cases and experiences of others in different locations with similar drivers in a more coordinated way.
The benefits of these databases are in:
- Elevating awareness of the importance and tangible benefits of sustainability transitions in agri-food systems through transparent sharing of success stories and comparative framework to better understand the similarities and differences of transitions in relation to their drivers beyond the limits of specific sectors or contexts.
- Transforming scepticism into advocacy by presenting convincing evidence from the case studies that reveal the practical advantages of transition initiatives and corroborate practical know-how knowledge of stakeholders with scientific evidence, thereby constructing a solid, pluralistic and trustworthy knowledge base.
Databases
Open allClose allA new database of 60 diverse case studies that capture how sustainability transitions and transformations unfold in four sectors, three spatial scales, and across six continents. By synthesising concepts and showcasing how they play out in real-world cases, this database helps bridge theoretical knowledge about transformative change with empirical evidence.
Access to the database is available upon request
Contact: Dr Enayat A. Moallemi
Graphic courtesy of One Earth
In response to growing calls for food system transformation, diverse responses have emerged ranging from state-led, top-down initiatives to grassroots, community-driven actions. This diversity raises a central question: Which actors and processes, i.e., top-down or bottom-up, are most effective in driving transformative change? This database includes 40 case studies of actor roles in food system transformation across 24 countries.
Access to the database is available upon request
Contact: Dr Costanza Conti, Dr Andy Hall
Graphics courtesy of Global Food Security
Designed to support the effective scaling of innovations in agri-food systems and regional sustainability transitions. It includes 67 case studies of scaling agri-food innovations (agroecology, conservation ag, climate smart ag and zero budget natural farming) together with insights on how “scaling” is understood and applied across different contexts, the motivations of actors involved, and common barriers, enablers, and skill sets required for scaling beyond the pilot phase. The database aims to inform better decision-making by offering a guide to integrate the concept of responsible scaling starting from the early stage of the co-design and implementation of agri-food system transitions.
Access to the database is available upon request
Contact: Dr Zelalem Moti
A new database of 35 case studies that explore how transition design is being practiced around the world. Different cases have adapted transition design thinking to fit local contexts, cultural perspectives, and funding constraints. The database highlights the diversity of approaches, challenges, and innovations in applying transition design, offering a valuable resource for understanding how design is being used to support societal transitions across varied settings.
Access to the database is available upon request
Contact: Dr Michelle Miller
A database of 50 case studies that explore how diverse societal actors have been involved in decision-making under uncertainty about sustainability transitions. These cases span sectors, regions, and time scales and highlight key strategies, trade-offs, and impacts of decision-focused co-production. The aim of this database is to clarify what effective co-production looks like in practice, highlight opportunities and barriers, and support more inclusive, evidence-based planning and management in complex, uncertain contexts.
Access to the database is available upon request
Contact: Dr Enayat A. Moallemi
Graphic courtesy of Global Environmental Change