Living labs as a vehicle for change in local food systems

Creating stakeholder networks in situation arenas is essential for promoting local, long- term transitions toward agroecology. More than stakeholder engagement, this complex conceptual process involves transforming stakeholders into agents of change. We present a framework for fostering user-centered, open innovation ecosystems that integrate the sciences and society in real-life settings. We present lessons from Agroecology Living Landscapes (ALLs) set up by the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) Agroecology Initiative to support local agroecological transitions. Living Labs are a mechanism for actors (producers, traders, processors, consumers, institutions, etc.)?who are part of a territorial landscape?to exchange their views and knowledge and coconstruct and adopt agroecological innovations. The ALLs were guided by a shared understanding of what they wanted to achieve: a vision for the future they wanted. This vision was used to conceptualize plausible community transition pathways and to identify commodity value chains to support agroecology transition. The ALLs participated in a series of meetings to understand their contexts, stakeholders, and actors, and they also identified challenges and opportunities for the dominant value chains. They then codeveloped interventions for ALL's agroecology transition. There is increased awareness of the need to change behavior and the benefits of agroecology, a first step to the transition. Taking more time to envision and include stakeholders within and across the food systems could produce more comprehensive products.