The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled
The importance of connectedness in laying the ground for social-ecological transformations or in spreading new ideas and practices for transformation is increasingly recognized. However, the role of networks in supporting the emergence and growth of seeds (initiatives with the potential to positivel...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Resilience Alliance
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Society |
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| Online Access: | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art38 |
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| author | Ignacio Gianelli Micaela Trimble Silvana Juri Laura M Pereira Blanca González-Mon Sebastian Villasante |
| author_facet | Ignacio Gianelli Micaela Trimble Silvana Juri Laura M Pereira Blanca González-Mon Sebastian Villasante |
| author_sort | Ignacio Gianelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The importance of connectedness in laying the ground for social-ecological transformations or in spreading new ideas and practices for transformation is increasingly recognized. However, the role of networks in supporting the emergence and growth of seeds (initiatives with the potential to positively shape the future) has not yet been comprehensively studied empirically. To this end, we introduce a novel concept, the seeds’ substrate, to characterize: (1) the relationships among a network of seeds, (2) the support needed for seeds to appropriately scale and coalesce, and (3) the actors that enable and provide support. The seeds’ substrate concept was theoretically informed and empirically derived by using a case study of an ongoing coalescing process. On this basis, we derived several categories and definitions for seeds interactions, types of support, and supporting actors that collectively constitute the seeds’ substrate. Specifically, we identified seven types of interactions between seeds, nine types of support, and 14 different categories of supporting actors. Furthermore, we presented a multi-level network approach to analyze the seeds’ substrate and test specific hypotheses within this modeling approach. By putting the seeds’ substrate concept into practice in an ongoing coalescence process involving 11 seeds around the small-scale fisheries food system in Uruguay, we identified the network of seeds and the constellations of actors and interactions that preceded efforts to deliberately foster a seed coalition. This allowed us to anticipate synergies and conflicts and to identify key supporting actors that structure the seed substrate. In addition, we derived a comprehensive baseline against which to quantitatively compare the unfolding of the coalescence process over time. This paper contributes to filling a gap in the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes literature and unpacks a key but largely unexplored subprocess of its theory of change: the transition from periods of experimentation to periods of coalescence. We expect the seeds’ substrate concept to be useful in a wide and diverse range of social-ecological contexts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-59a975a182644fecbe232b25e2cb8278 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1708-3087 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-59a975a182644fecbe232b25e2cb82782025-08-20T01:50:48ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872025-03-013013810.5751/ES-15792-30013815792The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabledIgnacio Gianelli0Micaela Trimble1Silvana Juri2Laura M Pereira3Blanca González-Mon4Sebastian Villasante5EqualSea Lab-CRETUS, Department of Applied Economics, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, SpainSouth American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies (SARAS), UruguaySouth American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies (SARAS), UruguayGlobal Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaStockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SwedenCRETUS-EqualSea Lab, Department of Applied Economics, University of Santiago de Compostela, SpainThe importance of connectedness in laying the ground for social-ecological transformations or in spreading new ideas and practices for transformation is increasingly recognized. However, the role of networks in supporting the emergence and growth of seeds (initiatives with the potential to positively shape the future) has not yet been comprehensively studied empirically. To this end, we introduce a novel concept, the seeds’ substrate, to characterize: (1) the relationships among a network of seeds, (2) the support needed for seeds to appropriately scale and coalesce, and (3) the actors that enable and provide support. The seeds’ substrate concept was theoretically informed and empirically derived by using a case study of an ongoing coalescing process. On this basis, we derived several categories and definitions for seeds interactions, types of support, and supporting actors that collectively constitute the seeds’ substrate. Specifically, we identified seven types of interactions between seeds, nine types of support, and 14 different categories of supporting actors. Furthermore, we presented a multi-level network approach to analyze the seeds’ substrate and test specific hypotheses within this modeling approach. By putting the seeds’ substrate concept into practice in an ongoing coalescence process involving 11 seeds around the small-scale fisheries food system in Uruguay, we identified the network of seeds and the constellations of actors and interactions that preceded efforts to deliberately foster a seed coalition. This allowed us to anticipate synergies and conflicts and to identify key supporting actors that structure the seed substrate. In addition, we derived a comprehensive baseline against which to quantitatively compare the unfolding of the coalescence process over time. This paper contributes to filling a gap in the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes literature and unpacks a key but largely unexplored subprocess of its theory of change: the transition from periods of experimentation to periods of coalescence. We expect the seeds’ substrate concept to be useful in a wide and diverse range of social-ecological contexts.https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art38coalescenceseeds of good anthropocenessmall-scale fisheriessustainability initiativesnetworkstransformations |
| spellingShingle | Ignacio Gianelli Micaela Trimble Silvana Juri Laura M Pereira Blanca González-Mon Sebastian Villasante The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled Ecology and Society coalescence seeds of good anthropocenes small-scale fisheries sustainability initiatives networks transformations |
| title | The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled |
| title_full | The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled |
| title_fullStr | The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled |
| title_full_unstemmed | The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled |
| title_short | The seeds’ substrate: a concept to understand how transformations toward Good Anthropocenes can be enabled |
| title_sort | seeds substrate a concept to understand how transformations toward good anthropocenes can be enabled |
| topic | coalescence seeds of good anthropocenes small-scale fisheries sustainability initiatives networks transformations |
| url | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art38 |
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