Building network for innovation and proximity in local development; sustainable farming initiatives in Izmir

Abstract

Despite the increasing demand for food, agricultural systems are struggling with new challenges such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity and disease. This struggle requires not only ecological changes but also building economically and socially sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. Transitions to more sustainable practices are referred to as sustainability transitions, and the multilevel perspective (MLP) provides a framework for their analysis. In this study, based on information from primary and secondary sources in Izmir, Turkey, the MLP was used as a starting point, and using the literature on adoption/diffusion and economic geography with social network analysis, the role of human capital, social relations and regional capacity in restructuring the current regime for developing sustainable agricultural practices at a geographic scale is discussed.