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International audience; Although evidence continues to indicate an urgent need to transition food systems away from industrialized monocultures and toward agroecological production, there is little sign of significant policy commitment toward food system transformation in global North geographies. The authors, a consortium of researchers studying the land-food nexus in global North geographies, argue that a key lock-in explaining the lack of reform arises from how most food system interventions work through dominant logics of property to achieve their goals of agroecological production. Doing so fails to recognize how land tenure systems, codified by law and performed by society, construct agricultural land use outcomes. In this perspective, the authors argue that achieving food system “resilience” requires urgent attention to the underlying property norms that drive land access regimes, especially where norms of property appear hegemonic. This paper first reviews research from political ecology, critical property law, and human geography to show how entrenched property relations in the global North frustrate the advancement of alternative models like food sovereignty and agroecology, and work to mediate acceptable forms of “sustainable agriculture.” Drawing on emerging cases of land tenure reform from the authors' collective experience working in Scotland, France, Australia, Canada, and Japan, we next observe how contesting dominant logics of property creates space to forge deep and equitable food system transformation. Equally, these cases demonstrate how powerful actors in the food system attempt to leverage legal and cultural norms of property to legitimize their control over the resources that drive agricultural production. Our formulation suggests that visions for food system “resilience” must embrace the reform of property relations as much as it does diversified farming practices. This work calls for a joint cultural and legal reimagination of our relation to land in places where property functions as an epistemic and apex entitlement.

International audience; Forest regeneration is a major land-use change in European uplands, and whether or not this is a desirable change for biodiversity is disputed. While this debate seems to be largely situated in the field of natural sciences, this paper aims to also examine its social dimensions. To do so, we adopt a comparative discourse analysis with four cases of protected areas in France, Spain, and Scotland. We draw on a conceptual framework highlighting both the ecological and social factors underpinning the construction of environmental discourses. It notably emphasises the role of interests, ideas and institutions, and the power dynamics underpinning discourse-coalitions. We show how diverging discourses emerged, gained ground, coalesced and competed differently in different contexts, explaining the adoption of seemingly opposite discourses by protected area authorities. These findings reaffirm the need to conceive environmental governance as an on-going deliberative process in order to achieve environmental justice.

In the western world, farming is the most dangerous occupation with the highest rates of accidents and fatalities. Farming remains largely a family business and most accidents happen to family members. Why do safety campaigns have such limited success and why do farm families bring this terrible grief on themselves? This article argues that farm accidents are a persistent social pattern requiring analysis of how families are socialised to interact with the farming space. Based on qualitative data gathered for a Scottish study, it is argued that within farm families there is a socialisation and normalisation of danger. Accidents are to be expected. Two key arguments are advanced. First, danger is normalised and children are socialised to undertake risky behaviour. Second, it is suggested that when women do take up farming, they consciously undertake dangerous farming activities to prove that they are 'authentic' farmers. No previous research has considered women's approach to danger, and the existing literature suggests women are more safety conscious. This is not supported by our findings. We argue that farm accidents and fatalities are a persistent social problem because family members socialise each other to accept danger as the norm.

Are you happy at work? For too many people, the answer is no. McKee discusses why people are unhappy in these settings and what can be done about it. She explains certain myths (such as that you are not necessarily supposed to be happy on the job) and traps (such as the overwork trap). To counter these, she notes the power of purpose, hope, and friendships, and emotional intelligence, an area in which she has co-authored books with Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis. Within this construct, she cites the components of self-awareness, empathy, self-management, and emotional self-control. Happiness at work is within your own power and your own reach—a comforting thought.

The empowerment and resilience of communities in rural contexts is often seen to be linked to their capacities – for example, organisational, infrastructural and personal capacity – and the types of capital – e.g., social, physical, human and financial – that the community can access. While the ‘community capital’ and ‘capacities’ perspectives overlap, they define community characteristics in slightly different ways, with different analytical categories at their disposal. Here, we loosely draw on the capacities perspective and supplement it in a grounded manner with aspects from the community capital literature, to analyse the development of a small rural, dispersed community in Scotland over the course of two years. Our analysis is based on two sets of qualitative interviews with residents of the community and other relevant actors, conducted around an interval of two years, combined with observation of community events in the interim period. While at the beginning of the study, the community appeared a place where people were cautiously hopeful, with an asset transfer planned that was intended to support empowerment and resilience, the case unfolded – at least temporarily – as an ‘unsuccess story’, due to the failure of the asset transfer. Our analysis elucidates how organisational, infrastructural and personal capacities of the community interacted, and leads to three major findings. First, interactions between capitals and capacities are crucial to a comprehensive understanding of a community's situation, but tend to be understudied. Second, capacities can not only be ‘low’, they can also be negative (thus not only neutral but outright destructive), and extremely hard to overcome through standard approaches to capacity building. And third, in our study case, ‘social capacities’ that emerged from people's experiences of social interactions acted as powerful microstructures that constrained individuals' abilities to engage in community action. To conclude, we discuss these findings in terms of their implications for community empowerment and resilience more broadly.

It is argued that the pattern of landownership in Scotland is inequitable and inefficient, since the land (and its associated outputs) is concentrated in only a few, private hands. Critics argue that the scale of private landownership in Scotland maintains historical inequalities and injustices, and that alternative forms of land occupancy and smaller land holdings could lead to more productive land use and associated socio-economic benefits. With its rural political history of decentralization and multifunctional agriculture, Norway provides a fascinating and highly relevant comparison to the history of Scottish land ownership and land use policy, due in part to the similar population size, yet significant difference in the proportion of the population with a stake in land ownership management. The so-called “Norwegian model” (i.e. the pattern of land tenure, in tandem with rural and agricultural policies) is heralded as the goal for equitable landownership and sustainable land management that is the aspiration of Scottish policy-makers. This case study discusses the consequences of historic and potential future changes to the Norwegian model and implications for the comparative case of Scottish land reform, including the implementation of measures within the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.

Privately-owned estates dominate Scotland's uplands, and their owners' decisions greatly influence rural communities. The research reported here, involving in-depth case studies of six upland, private estates, aimed to investigate the dynamic relationships between landowners and rural communities, considering the influence of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The research questions were explored through interviews with key actors (in the local community and in estate management) and participant observation. Evaluation of current and potential landowner/estate-community partnership-working illustrates the opportunities for mutual benefits, and the need for greater community empowerment to ensure partnership success. These findings are interpreted from a Habermasian perspective, reiterating the apparently insurmountable challenge of power inequalities in the public sphere. Nonetheless, in order to pursue a democratic discourse, private landowners and ‘estate communities’ are recommended to adopt principles of Communicative Action (where mutual understanding is supported through the creation of an ‘ideal speech situation’), to contribute positively to ‘estate community’ sustainability, and subsequently, to private estate sustainability and public legitimacy. This research is highly policy relevant in Scotland during a period of review of land reform legislation. The conclusions have international significance in terms of understanding power relations in rural contexts and identifying opportunities for community empowerment. Finally, outcomes for the practice of communication in the context of Scottish private estates are considered, as well as wider theoretical applications in the era of ‘post-participation’, not least the importance of maintaining the ‘public sphere’, seeking to reduce inequalities and maximise trust.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) prescribes the use of economic tools and principles so that its ecological targets are achieved in an economically efficient manner. The aim is to establish the least-costly combination of measures to be included in basin management plans. Moreover, the WFD allows the derogation of environmental objectives if meeting them has disproportionately high costs. The application of these principles adds new complexity to the management of water resources, which is recognized to be a ‘wicked problem’. Arguably, the complex and dynamic nature of water problems requires flexible decision-making that embraces a diversity of knowledge types and values. In this research, natural and socio-economic scientists worked together in the development of an integrated approach that is ‘ground-tested’ through local stakeholders’ knowledge and views by means of participatory methods. The two key aims of the methodological approach presented in the paper were: (1) develop a set of steps for implementing this transdisciplinary approach to meeting WFD objectives, and (2) critically reflect on the opportunities and limitations of integrating different strands of knowledge. The approach was tested at the sub-catchment level in Scotland. Hydro-chemical models are used to simulate sub-catchment scale effectiveness of a set of pollution mitigation measures for improving water quality The results from hydro-chemical modelling were incorporated into a cost-optimization model, which allows the selection and ranking of economically-efficient combination of measures. Costs of measures were then compared with benefits resulting from the improvement of water quality. This analysis is accompanied by an iterative local stakeholder consultation process, which shapes the process and offers a way of contrasting scientific findings with local perceptions. The research further analyses whether the selected measures are ‘future-proof’, in view of projected climate and land use change scenarios. Results are used to help set the research agenda for devising a more realistic specification of economically sound and socially acceptable management options to deliver WFD compliance under current and future conditions., JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Economy

The definition of management actions in natural resource management requires the integration of all types of knowledge involved. An appropriate approach for such a challenge is the ideal of transdisciplinarity. A transdisciplinary process can be considered “consultative” when knowledge is simply gathered and collated, or “participatory” when knowledge integration is undertaken collectively. In this paper, we present a mixed mode procedure (i.e., using interviews, questionnaires, and group discussions) that empirically demonstrates the difference between consultative and participatory transdisciplinary processes. The mixed mode procedure is used for identifying the most relevant problems occurring in the coastal system of Praia da Vitoria bay, Azores, Portugal. This mixed mode procedure is likely to be useful for other studies, because the results highlight the need to promote face-to-face interaction at the earliest opportunity, and because it allows an understanding to be gained of social learning proces...

Land reform was given high political priority in Scotland following devolution in 1999. The overall objective of the 2003 Land Reform Act (LRA) was to remove the land-based barriers to the sustainable development of rural communities. Using a combination of an expert survey, published commentaries and empirical evidence, this paper critically analyses stakeholder perceptions of the early impacts of the Act and its likely future effects. Further, it evaluates theclaims and counter-claims regarding the pros and cons of two contrasting models of land ownership: private ownership, which has long dominated rural Scotland, and the new forms of ‘social ownership’ by community and conservation bodies. We find that the LRA has accelerated a pre-existing trend away from a dualistic pattern of ownership (private and state) towards amore pluralistic pattern with many experimental models and multi-stakeholder partnerships. The research shows that neither the positive expectations nor the fears expressed about...

While many senior executives can both afford and benefit from world class external coaching, this may not be an affordable or manageable option for many leaders in large organizations. Developing a cadre of internal coaches has the benefits of: (1) cost containment; (2) internal capacity to create a coaching culture; and (3) coaches make better managers. In a case study of a large European bank implementing a culture change the authors trained coaches how to coach using emotional intelligence and a change model called intentional change. Surveys and interviews of the leaders who were coached by internal coaches revealed five tangible results: (1) an increase in the speed of managers’ leadership growth; (2) an increase in manager loyalty to the company; (3) improved communication among people; (4) increased ability to solve conflicts; and (5) a renewed passion and awareness that part of their ability is to develop others.

The co-production of knowledge between different actor groups has the potential to generate ‘more socially robust knowledge’ and better decisions, therefore improving governance processes. This paper explores knowledge co-production between different types of actors involved in soils governance in Scotland: policy makers, agency staff, scientists, local authorities, land managers and other stakeholders. In a setting characterised by network governance, we investigate knowledge co-production in three arenas that aimed to implement the Scottish Soil Framework and progress several activities such as a Soil Monitoring Action Plan and the Scotland’s Soils website. Adopting an action research, case study approach, we collected data through document analysis, observation, personal communication with policy actors involved, and semi-structured interviews with soil data users (local authorities, farmers, estate managers). The findings show different levels of interaction in the different arenas, ranging from major interaction and two-way communication to no interaction. The interaction levels indicate the extent to which knowledge exchange has taken place. Analysis highlights the divergence in problem framing between the actor groups, their diverse soil data needs and, therefore, a variation in perceptions of solutions. The combination of co-production in the different arenas enhanced policy actors’ knowledge and allowed them to reconsider policy implementation efforts. However, the delineation of knowledge types remains challenging since the same actor can hold different types of knowledge. We conclude that the concept of knowledge co-production is useful as a frame for developing polycentric, interactive and multi-party processes in soils governance, as well as to identify where interaction requires facilitation and/or improvement, but the concept does not provide a consistent theory.

Transdisciplinarity is a demanding paradigm, considered by many in the literature as the way to move forward in terms of science and policy integration. In this paper we present the example of a tailored transdisciplinary (TD) process to tackle a key topic of European policy – the future of agriculture at the regional level. This phased process was followed in seven regions across Europe and involved the co-construction of future visions, engaging both researchers and a range of relevant stakeholders. This paper presents results based on a critical reflection made by researchers and stakeholders in Portugal and Scotland, throughout the participatory process. These results provide insights into the roles and responsibilities of researchers and stakeholders in TD processes. One main conclusion is that accumulated social capital can be essential to initiate and maintain a TD process, and requires a commitment between the research community and the surrounding society. Our analysis demonstrates the challenges of implementing a TD process within the temporal frame/boundaries of a research project and the added value of having transdisciplinarity as part of the long term strategy of a research group, not just one part of a specific project. Not acknowledging this may lead to disappointment and fatigue amongst those connecting with researchers. We also found that researchers position themselves differently in a TD process depending on their soft skills, experience and knowledge about transdisciplinarity; hence we call attention to the need to work more explicitly with these skills in the research environment and to present this concept in an early stage of researcher training, if better transdisciplinarity is to be achieved.

PurposeThe authors contend that the current, intensive emphasis on short‐term results prevalent in much of corporate America unwittingly undercuts the ability of companies to achieve long‐term financial success. Given the “always on” nature of life for senior executives in the Digital Age, leaders find themselves subject to tremendous, ever‐increasing pressures and a perceived and/or real need to work harder and longer. The mental, physical and psychological toll extracted by these pressures over time leads to escalating personal sacrifice and ultimately, if unaddressed to the well‐known phenomenon known as “burnout”. Through recognizing what the authors refer to as the Cycle of Sacrifice and Renewal, executives can renew themselves using Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion. Through renewal, senior leaders can counteract the effects of work‐related pressures, perform at their best over the long‐term, and lead their organizations to sustained long‐term financial success.Design/methodology/approachThe authors rely on research conducted by co‐author Annie McKee and Richard Boyatzis as outlined extensively in their current book, Resonant Leadership.FindingsThe authors discuss the Cycle of Sacrifice and Renewal as well as Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion, defining each term, and explain the relevance of each to a leader committed to achieving sustained, long‐term performance.Originality/valueThe paper is relevant to current and aspiring leaders and to Human Resource executives interested in working with people to help them perform at their best.

The capabilities that the authors have defined as components of Emotional Intelligence—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—apply to teams as well as individuals. And so, to optimize a team's effectiveness, its members—and especially its leader(s)—must “tune in” to its emotional state and needs. © 2002 by Daniel Goleman