Transforming the food environment: An assemblage-based research approach

Abstract

Current food transition studies predominantly examine the role of food actors in challenging dominant food regimes. However, there is a notable gap in understanding changes within the spaces where individuals interact with the food system—the food environment. In this paper, we seek to support the development of a new research agenda that engages assemblage thinking with the practicalities of transformation processes. Based on a critical review of existing literature, our assemblage-based approach embraces the chaotic, non-linear nature of transitions, steering away from narrow, rigid theories of change. An emphasis on the under-utilised concept of "lines of flight" is particularly useful to unveil the diverse, relational and dynamic nature of food environments, identifying opportunities for challenging, reimagining and, ultimately, transforming them.