Socio-technical innovation for sustainable food chains: roles for social science

The article discusses the evolution of the contemporary agri-food system, charting the increasing assertion of consumer concerns along the food chain and the resultant opposition to technology-driven models of food production. It sets out a case for closer integration between social and natural science research to reflect more effectively the complexity of contemporary food systems, and to respond to demands for technological options and the basic science behind them to be opened up to public scrutiny and social choice.