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Territorial Approaches to Sustainability
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Territorial Approaches to Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 23042

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elodie Valette

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIRAD, UMR ART-DEV, F-34398 Montpellier, France; ART-DEV, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Univ Paul Valery, Univ Perpignan, CNRS, Montpellier, France
Interests: territorial development; food systems; participatory impact assessment
Dr. Jérémy Bourgoin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CIRAD, UMR TETIS, 34398 Montpellier, France
2. TETIS, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, AgroParisTech, 34000 Montpellier, France
Interests: territorial development; land use planning; participatory approaches

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the signature of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, significant diplomatic and political achievements have been reached since 2015. A challenging global framework for sustainable development has been renewed, bringing forward the need to identify concrete actions to be implemented at various scales, from local to global. Toward this purpose, territorial or place-based approaches are expected to play a major role.

Territorial approaches build on the acknowledgement that “geography matters” (Voos, 2005), and on the “increasing acceptance that sectorial approaches to land management are no longer sufficient to meet global challenges such as poverty alleviation, biodiversity conservation, and food production” (Reed, 2015). Umbrella terms for a plethora of methods and tools, territorial development approaches provide a better understanding of place-based issues, resources, and stakeholders; they build on the recognition of stakeholders’ participation as a fundamental principle and on the involvement of different sectors to address complex issues in an integrated manner. They seek to link and balance local imperatives and needs with nationally planned actions and global agendas.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to take stock of the progress made in research, policy, and practice in the field of territorial development. In particular, we expect this Special Issue to reflect on key critical points in designing and implementing integrated territorial approaches for sustainable development. Submitted papers could focus on:

  • Innovative methods and tools for the diagnostic phases.This section will focus on the innovative methods and tools designed to unravel local complexity in an initial diagnostic phase. A place-based diagnostic is used as a baseline for project monitoring and/or as a way to collectively build a common understanding of the issues at stake; it enables an acknowledgement of the interactions between a diversity of local stakeholders, resources, and activities.
  • The issues of inequalities and power asymmetries in participatory methodologies. This section will focus on how these issues are addressed through improved participatory methodologies and by analyzing the conjunctural dynamics of these asymmetries. 
  • The shaping of institutional environments for inclusive and sustainable territorial approaches. Acknowledging the well-known needs for decentralization, capacity building at subnational and local levels, multi-level coordination, and the vertical and horizontal integration of policies and programs, this section could display various institutional frameworks and environments that foster place-based approaches.
  • The impact assessment of territorial approaches. This section will focus on impact assessment and M&E methods specific to integrated territorial projects and programs.
  • Scaling. Good practices are poor “travelers” (Morgan and Morley, 2014). Scaling initiatives and projects to effect larger-scale change involves a more complex and diverse process than simply “diffusing” or spreading a product or model (Moore, Riddell, and Vocisano 2015). This section will address the strategies and challenges of scaling (up and out) and display various ways to facilitate and amplify transformative action.

Dr. Elodie Valette
Dr. Jérémy Bourgoin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • territorial development
  • integrated landscape management
  • SDGs
  • place-based approaches
  • multisectoral
  • participation

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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32 pages, 2225 KiB  
Article
Assessing Rural-Urban Linkages and Their Contribution to Territorial Development: Insights from Zimbabwe’s Small and Medium-Sized Cities
by Sara Mercandalli, Pierre Girard, Bécaye Dione and Sandrine Michel
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6223; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076223 - 4 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5060
Abstract
In Sub-Saharan Africa, unprecedented population growth, concomitant with limited industrialisation and job creation, have changed the configurations of rural-urban linkages in recent decades. Indeed, as primate cities do not act as strong engines of growth, territorial dynamics are rapidly being reshaped by renewed [...] Read more.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, unprecedented population growth, concomitant with limited industrialisation and job creation, have changed the configurations of rural-urban linkages in recent decades. Indeed, as primate cities do not act as strong engines of growth, territorial dynamics are rapidly being reshaped by renewed flows of people, goods, services and information within and between economic sectors, and between rural and urban areas. Rural densification and the fast expansion of small and medium-sized cities is one manifestation of these changes. As a result of silo thinking about rural and urban in most national strategies, plus the widespread informal economy and limited available statistics in the region, these new rural-urban linkages and their contribution to socioeconomic dynamics remain underexplored. Contributing to fill this gap, the aim of this paper is to present and test a method to assess rural-urban linkages and their possible role in territorial development in southern countries. We use a holistic approach and adopt an original posture, taking rural areas as the point of reference. Our method sets proxy indicators for specific information that is missing on rural-urban linkages. These indicators are then used to build a typology of territories according to potential rural-urban linkages, using a multivariate analysis and clustering. When applied to the case of Zimbabwe, the results reveal three types of districts, which differ in terms of the nature, intensity, direction and potential of rural-urban linkages for territorial development. We discuss the method’s suitability in a diagnostic phase and how it could feed strategic thinking to mainstream rural-urban linkages in territorial development actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
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17 pages, 1842 KiB  
Article
Do We Really Have to Scale Up Local Approaches? A Reflection on Scalability, Based upon a Territorial Prospective at the Burkina Faso–Togo Border
by Véronique Ancey, Jean-Michel Sourisseau and Christian Corniaux
Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710977 - 2 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1688
Abstract
Scaling up has become an objective and an indicator of success across many fields. We challenge this norm in the field of agricultural development, where it has recently become widespread, offering a critique and alternative approaches by presenting work conducted on the border [...] Read more.
Scaling up has become an objective and an indicator of success across many fields. We challenge this norm in the field of agricultural development, where it has recently become widespread, offering a critique and alternative approaches by presenting work conducted on the border between Burkina Faso and Togo. Our territorial and prospective approach to cross-border transhumance draws on 30 years of statistical data, 61 interviews, a survey of 568 people and a demographic projection. A collective ambition grew out of the three workshops. Local cross-border debates and the subsequent dialogue between actors across territorial scales demonstrate that contextualized results can be valid without being “scaled up”. A real change in scale means going beyond individual perceptions by identifying and debating the connections between actors and with resources. Resource sustainability is considered through a collective process-based approach rather than through norms. To support practical work on sustainability, rather than fantasizing about perfectly generalizable objects of study or, on the contrary, getting wrapped up in a “small is beautiful” ideal, collective reflection should be encouraged on prospects for local actions. Where tensions run high—as in the territory that we study—these are all emerging resources in the negotiations of public action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
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21 pages, 3837 KiB  
Article
Sui Generis Geographical Indications Fostering Localized Sustainable Fashion: A Cross-Industry Assessment
by Sara Cavagnero and Simona Giordano
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5251; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095251 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3291
Abstract
As interest in sustainable fashion and localism mounts, there is a compelling need to foster purchasers’ trust in claims made by fashion businesses. Geographical indications (GIs) have proven successful not only in reducing consumers’ search costs through reliable labels but also in safeguarding [...] Read more.
As interest in sustainable fashion and localism mounts, there is a compelling need to foster purchasers’ trust in claims made by fashion businesses. Geographical indications (GIs) have proven successful not only in reducing consumers’ search costs through reliable labels but also in safeguarding identity and heritage and delivering added value for agricultural products. Building on the EU Commission proposed Regulation to protect craft and industrial products that rely on the originality and authenticity of traditional practices from their regions and drawing on the “fiber follows food” adage, this paper puts forward policy recommendations related to the proposed expansion of GIs to the fashion industry. Through cross-sector and transdisciplinary explorative research, this article provides evidence on how the origin link could be framed to accommodate apparel and footwear items within the scope of protection of the EU sui generis GIs system despite their “non-terroir” character. Key drivers and barriers to harnessing GIs’ potential and enhancing the sustainability of localized fashion production are further explored based on the theoretical insights and comparative practical experience extrapolated from qualitative interviews with GI-protected winemakers in Apulia. Ultimately, the paper increases the understanding of the economic, ecological, social, and governance implications, which need to be addressed to improve the sustainability impact of sui generis GI systems before expanding them to the apparel and footwear domain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
18 pages, 588 KiB  
Article
Public Policies for Sustainable Territorial Development in Brazil: Between Clientelism and Participation
by Eric Sabourin
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 3058; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053058 - 5 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
The article discusses the permanence of clientelistic practices and their tensions with the participatory approach adopted within the framework of the Brazilian public policy of rural territorial development. It examines, in particular, the case of local implementation of the National Program of Territorial [...] Read more.
The article discusses the permanence of clientelistic practices and their tensions with the participatory approach adopted within the framework of the Brazilian public policy of rural territorial development. It examines, in particular, the case of local implementation of the National Program of Territorial Development. The results come from the study of the functioning of the Territorial Collegiate and the projects implemented in the Águas Emendadas Territory in the Midwest of Brazil. It uses a socio-anthropological approach of patronage and political participation through the analysis of the social configuration and the relations of instrumentalisation in both the participatory spaces and the projects of this territory. The results show the existence of a not only social but also an affective dimension of clientele practice that can be analyzed as an asymmetrical reciprocity relationship based on the principle of anthropological reciprocity or as a process of unequal political exchange, considering a political science approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
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23 pages, 2034 KiB  
Article
The Collaborative Process in Environmental Projects, a Place-Based Coevolution Perspective
by Kevin Daudin, Christiane Weber, François Colin, Flavie Cernesson, Pierre Maurel and Valérie Derolez
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8526; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158526 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2818
Abstract
Environmental research and management organizations are mutually dependent when it comes to produce and use knowledge in favor of responsible action in an increasingly uncertain world. Still, science and practice interfacing remains a challenge when it comes to implementing and sustaining a collaborative [...] Read more.
Environmental research and management organizations are mutually dependent when it comes to produce and use knowledge in favor of responsible action in an increasingly uncertain world. Still, science and practice interfacing remains a challenge when it comes to implementing and sustaining a collaborative process. In this paper, we develop a descriptive framework to study the coevolution of scientific and planning activities embedded in a territorial system. Scientists and managers dynamically interact through institutional arrangements, operationalization of knowledge and information and communication tools. We propose an approach to systematically document transdisciplinary pathways and characterize the bounding process between organizations on a typical case-study, the coastal Thau territoire (Mediterranean Sea, France). By tracing, illustrating and analyzing coupled trajectories of environmental sciences and planning for the last decades, the Systemic Timeline Multistep methodology tackles cross-fertilization mechanisms. The relational analysis draws on the elaboration of a synchronic timeline to question co-evolution and grasp causal mechanisms of research projects interactions with management pathways. Its application on the Thau territoire shows that scientific activities and public actions shaped each other in a continuous process of interaction. It also gives insights into the contributive roles of long-term place-based research and intermediate organizations for the emergence of new sociotechnical arrangements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
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23 pages, 1153 KiB  
Perspective
Territorial Approach and Rural Development Challenges: Governance, State and Territorial Markets
by Karina Yoshie Martins Kato, Nelson Giordano Delgado and Jorge Osvaldo Romano
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7105; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127105 - 9 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3583
Abstract
The way we produce food is at the heart of some of the current main global challenges. We are witnessing increasing social inequalities and the accentuation of hunger around the world, especially in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. At the same [...] Read more.
The way we produce food is at the heart of some of the current main global challenges. We are witnessing increasing social inequalities and the accentuation of hunger around the world, especially in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. At the same time, malnutrition and effects of climate change are endangering both the health of people and nature, putting life and the planet itself at risk. In general, specialists agree that the solutions to the current crisis involve the transformation of hegemonic food production chains (globalized and industrialized) and the strengthening of more territorialized food systems. The present paper reflects on how the territorial approach (extensively promoted by the State in Latin America countries in the 21st century) can be collaboratively used to create territorial food markets that are more autonomous, sustainable, and connected with nature and territorial resources. Our hypothesis is that territorial development reinforces more sustainable food systems that increase the resilience of territories facing the current challenges of rural development. The methodology involves a thematic and selective literature review, the analysis of secondary indicators, and conducting online interviews. Our analysis focused on Latin America, one of the most advanced areas in territorial development policies. We situated our research in the Borborema Territory (Paraíba, Brazil), which is a significant case study for understanding the dynamics of territorialization (and deterritorialization) of agroecological production systems that are geared towards family farming. It is also, in our opinion, a concrete case that suggests how territorialized and more localized food systems show greater resilience in the face of adversity, which can be observed in the territorial actors’ ability to react to deterritorialization drivers that are emphasised in periods of crisis. Our main findings suggest that territorial development, by placing territory, resources, and territorial actors and institutions at the core of rural development strategies, reinforces territorialized food systems centred in small circuits of production–consumption. These alternative food systems not only contribute to social and environmental sustainability but enhance territorial development by expanding opportunities for territorial actors by diversifying the territorial economy and creating more crisis-resilient territories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
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15 pages, 645 KiB  
Perspective
Landscape as a Scaling Strategy in Territorial Development
by Roel Plant
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 3089; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053089 - 7 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2896
Abstract
This article analyses how the established but still elusive concept of ‘landscape’ may strengthen territorial development processes in the face of complexity. In times of the Anthropocene, landscapes are best treated as spaces for experiential and relational being, rather than pure social constructs [...] Read more.
This article analyses how the established but still elusive concept of ‘landscape’ may strengthen territorial development processes in the face of complexity. In times of the Anthropocene, landscapes are best treated as spaces for experiential and relational being, rather than pure social constructs or rationalised physical objects. Using basic tenets of social-ecological and social-technical systems thinking, this article tests the hypothesis that landscape, considered as a socio-technical innovation, can be harnessed in territorial development as a scaling device to achieve resilient and adaptive territories. This approach opens the perspective that the transition towards landscape-territorial development and planning can proceed in three phases. Each phase reflects a society with different degrees of awareness of the landscape. The article reflects on ways to operationalise the proposed landscape-territorial approach. It is concluded that, rather than in calls for global landscape governance, it is ultimately in reconfigured place—that is, landscapes reclaimed, developed, protected, as the local actors require it—that new spheres of control and influence over the landscape emerge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Approaches to Sustainability)
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