SUMMARY INTERDISCIPLINARY
THEMES OF FOOD AND
SUSTAINABILITY (YSS-33806)
2021-2022
, Contents
Session 1: Introduction on Multi/Inter/Transdisciplinary ............................................................................. 2
Ahlström, H., Williams, A. and Sagen Vildasen, S. (2020) .............................................................................. 5
Hospes et al. (2017) ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Session 2: Responsible Business Conduct: CSR 2.0 ........................................................................................ 8
Session 3: Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIA) (risk assessment) .................................................... 13
Session 4: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ........................................................................................................ 17
LCA 32
Session 5: A pain in the ass for business: the scope of RBC ........................................................................ 38
Session 6: Blonk consultants: Life cycle assessment and life cycle thinking in the food sector .................. 46
Chapter 20 Organisational LCA (Martina-Blanco, J. and Finkbeiner, M.) (2018) ......................................... 53
Session 7: Sustainable banking, ASN bank ................................................................................................... 61
Park, H., Kim, J.D. (2020) .............................................................................................................................. 66
Session 8: Zeeman ....................................................................................................................................... 69
Scheper, C. (2019) ........................................................................................................................................ 76
Session 9: Roles of European states in eliminating HR violations in GVCs .................................................. 80
Mantouvalou, V. (2018) ............................................................................................................................... 83
Termeer, C.J.A.M. and Metze, T.A.P. (2019) ................................................................................................ 84
Session 10: Policy mixes of governments to move business towards RBC.................................................. 88
Haslam, P.A. (2018) ...................................................................................................................................... 93
Session 11: How can civil society organisations contribute to RBC? ........................................................... 94
Pool of exam questions................................................................................................................................ 96
1
,Session 1: Introduction on Multi/Inter/Transdisciplinary
What is an interdisciplinary theme?
- Theme that requires the use and (some kind and level of) integration of knowledge from
different disciplines.
Differences between Multi/Inter/Transdisciplinary?
- Disciplinary: research within a single academia
- Interdisciplinary: (multidisciplinary) research within multiple academia
- Transdisciplinary: research goes beyond academia and involves stakeholders from policy,
civil society, etc.
What is multi/inter/transdisciplinary?
Transdisciplinary is the input from researchers but also other stakeholders!
Why inter- and transdisciplinary research was needed?
- Answer 1: to prevent partial understandings of complex systems and processes
- Answer 2: many of todays societal problems are
o Both technical and social
o Complex and systemic
o Cannot be solved by one actor alone
- Answer 3: to enable the realization of the SDGs:
2
, o World leaders gathered in New York in Sept 2015 to endorse the sustainable
development goals (SDGs): ‘paradigm shift for people and the planet’ (UN 2014:
para. 24).
o Businesses, government and civil society actors are equally responsible for
progressing a more sustainable path forward.
So: interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research are needed in order to grasp difficult
concepts, problems and find suitable and associated solution! But is it also realistic and
rewarding?
Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the DNA of WUR
- Mission: “to explore the potential of nature to iprove the quality of life”
- Domains: food, environment, society
- One faculty: incentive for multidisciplinary research & education
- WUR-king together with companies, governments and societal organizations
Barriers and risks of interdisciplinary research
1. Ontological and epistemological differences
a. (different research paradigms may limit the understanding of the other thus
common ground may be lacking)
2. Institutional and personal incentive-structures
a. (individuals have different drives and values which could come in contrast!)
3. Loss of disciplinary innovation and depth?
a. (a combination of various academia could result in that a certain subject may not
be researched to a specific extent)
4. Sliding in safe modus of multi-disciplinary research
My approach for sustainable pathways for palm oil
- Selecting umbrella concepts that ring a bell with both natural and social sciences:
systems, flows, pathways
- Selecting senior researchers who have a record in interdisciplinary research
Preconditions for interdisciplinary research
1. Recognizing and respecting different ideas on the nature of things and the kind of
knowledge that is needed to understand the nature of things
2. Time, willingness + incentives to engage in process of co-creation and new generation of
knowledge
3
THEMES OF FOOD AND
SUSTAINABILITY (YSS-33806)
2021-2022
, Contents
Session 1: Introduction on Multi/Inter/Transdisciplinary ............................................................................. 2
Ahlström, H., Williams, A. and Sagen Vildasen, S. (2020) .............................................................................. 5
Hospes et al. (2017) ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Session 2: Responsible Business Conduct: CSR 2.0 ........................................................................................ 8
Session 3: Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIA) (risk assessment) .................................................... 13
Session 4: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ........................................................................................................ 17
LCA 32
Session 5: A pain in the ass for business: the scope of RBC ........................................................................ 38
Session 6: Blonk consultants: Life cycle assessment and life cycle thinking in the food sector .................. 46
Chapter 20 Organisational LCA (Martina-Blanco, J. and Finkbeiner, M.) (2018) ......................................... 53
Session 7: Sustainable banking, ASN bank ................................................................................................... 61
Park, H., Kim, J.D. (2020) .............................................................................................................................. 66
Session 8: Zeeman ....................................................................................................................................... 69
Scheper, C. (2019) ........................................................................................................................................ 76
Session 9: Roles of European states in eliminating HR violations in GVCs .................................................. 80
Mantouvalou, V. (2018) ............................................................................................................................... 83
Termeer, C.J.A.M. and Metze, T.A.P. (2019) ................................................................................................ 84
Session 10: Policy mixes of governments to move business towards RBC.................................................. 88
Haslam, P.A. (2018) ...................................................................................................................................... 93
Session 11: How can civil society organisations contribute to RBC? ........................................................... 94
Pool of exam questions................................................................................................................................ 96
1
,Session 1: Introduction on Multi/Inter/Transdisciplinary
What is an interdisciplinary theme?
- Theme that requires the use and (some kind and level of) integration of knowledge from
different disciplines.
Differences between Multi/Inter/Transdisciplinary?
- Disciplinary: research within a single academia
- Interdisciplinary: (multidisciplinary) research within multiple academia
- Transdisciplinary: research goes beyond academia and involves stakeholders from policy,
civil society, etc.
What is multi/inter/transdisciplinary?
Transdisciplinary is the input from researchers but also other stakeholders!
Why inter- and transdisciplinary research was needed?
- Answer 1: to prevent partial understandings of complex systems and processes
- Answer 2: many of todays societal problems are
o Both technical and social
o Complex and systemic
o Cannot be solved by one actor alone
- Answer 3: to enable the realization of the SDGs:
2
, o World leaders gathered in New York in Sept 2015 to endorse the sustainable
development goals (SDGs): ‘paradigm shift for people and the planet’ (UN 2014:
para. 24).
o Businesses, government and civil society actors are equally responsible for
progressing a more sustainable path forward.
So: interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research are needed in order to grasp difficult
concepts, problems and find suitable and associated solution! But is it also realistic and
rewarding?
Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the DNA of WUR
- Mission: “to explore the potential of nature to iprove the quality of life”
- Domains: food, environment, society
- One faculty: incentive for multidisciplinary research & education
- WUR-king together with companies, governments and societal organizations
Barriers and risks of interdisciplinary research
1. Ontological and epistemological differences
a. (different research paradigms may limit the understanding of the other thus
common ground may be lacking)
2. Institutional and personal incentive-structures
a. (individuals have different drives and values which could come in contrast!)
3. Loss of disciplinary innovation and depth?
a. (a combination of various academia could result in that a certain subject may not
be researched to a specific extent)
4. Sliding in safe modus of multi-disciplinary research
My approach for sustainable pathways for palm oil
- Selecting umbrella concepts that ring a bell with both natural and social sciences:
systems, flows, pathways
- Selecting senior researchers who have a record in interdisciplinary research
Preconditions for interdisciplinary research
1. Recognizing and respecting different ideas on the nature of things and the kind of
knowledge that is needed to understand the nature of things
2. Time, willingness + incentives to engage in process of co-creation and new generation of
knowledge
3
