Forever niche: Why do organically bred vegetable varieties not diffuse?

• Organically bred vegetable varieties analyzed as a Technological Innovation System. • Empirical study on barriers for diffusion in conventional food retail. • Analysis of resource formation processes and overarching vicious cycles. • Sustainable agri-food innovations do not leave niche status due to deep value clashes. • Market formation perspective added to research on organic seeds and Seed Commons. While organic food increased its market share in conventional food retail, virtually all organic vegetables are still conventionally bred. For decades, organically bred vegetable varieties remained a market niche, despite their socio-ecological benefits. This paper conceptualizes actors and activities around organic breeding as a Technological Innovation System (TIS) and analyzes what prevents these varieties from widely diffusing into conventional supermarkets. Investigated systemic barriers relate to knowledge, market formation, investments, and legitimacy. The study is based on interviews with food retailers and (commons-based) breeding initiatives across Germany. Theoretically, the paper adds an innovation system perspective on the diffusion of organically bred varieties, a blind spot in the emerging seed commons debate. Furthermore, it contributes to sustainability transitions literature by introducing a novel empirical topic and reframing the TIS framework to analyze agri-food innovations. Identifying barriers and vicious cycles might support practitioners and policymakers seeking to diffuse this agri-food niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]