Building Capacities in Regional Food Systems: Mapping change towards transformation

This article, published in Agriculture and Human Values (April 2026), provides an overview of the FLOW Partnership and the concepts and methods underlying the research. See the abstract below for more details.

Blay-Palmer, A., Anderson, M.D., Aunio, AL. et al. Building capacities in regional food systems: mapping change towards transformation. Agric Hum Values 43, 65 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-025-10840-y

Authors: Alison Blay-Palmer · Molly D. Anderson · Anna-Liisa Aunio · Patricia Ballamingie · Rachel Carey · Samuel Gudu · Kent Mullinix · Maureen Murphy · Chatura Pulasinghage · Andrew Spring · David Szanto · Elodie Valette · Johanna Wilkes · Elisabeth Miltenburg

ABSTRACT

This paper makes the case for the regional scale as a space for resilient, sustainable food system transformation. Drawing from the literature and using the example of the Food Learning and Growing (FLOW) Partnership, we propose a hybrid methodology to explore, monitor and track enablers, barriers and changes over time. FLOW includes ten food regions where we are tracking various dimensions of transformation. The regional food systems capacities framework introduced herein is the theoretical basis for our work and frames our research. This framework underpins our research approach that includes developing multi-actor groups to guide our research and using collective visioning and impact pathways to map changes. Impact pathway maps help identify indicators to monitor and track changes and follow the paths to transformation. The indicators are brought to life through stories of change that will be shared across the research project to inform and catalyze ideas between regions. The stories will also be shared outside the FLOW partnership to inform and inspire others who seek to transform their food systems. Our goal is to understand the socio-ecological, economic, human and governance capacities that facilitate transformation from industrial food systems to ones that realize fair livelihoods, the right to food, food security, and ecological integrity.

Keywords: Food systems · Region · Capacity · Transformation · Impact pathway mapping

Figures (click to enlarge):

Fig. 1: From the household to the regional scale, incremental change can build towards systems transformation through participation and connectivities.

Fig. 2: Environmental, human, social, and economic regional capacities develop and flow within a context of multi-scale governance.

Fig. 3: Backcasting is a process for achieving a future state by identifying and moving through a series of progressive steps that connect the present to the future.

Fig. 4: An example of impact pathway mapping, starting from visioning and moving through indicator identification and capacity building, then back to visioning.