Unlearning in sustainability transitions: Insight from two Dutch community-supported agriculture farms

Abstract

The importance of double-loop learning and associated unlearning for sustainability transitions is increasingly recognised; however, a clear conceptualisation and empirical focus on unlearning is lacking. This paper combines conceptualisations of unlearning in organisation, business and management theory (‘organizational unlearning’) with postcolonial and feminist approaches to teaching and education (‘pedagogical unlearning’) to provide a richer understanding of unlearning in sustainability transitions. Empirical evidence was obtained through qualitative documentation of the conversion to solidarity payment in two Dutch community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms. Solidarity payment increases access to the CSA for low-income members and fosters solidarity with farmers to secure fairer income. Our results indicate the generative function of unlearning during processes of change as well as the strategic and pedagogical relevance of unlearning for this specific case. We conclude with the added value of an approach to sustainability transitions that is equipped for capturing the entangled processes of unlearning and learning.