Using expert elicitation and systems mapping to support social innovation in the (blue) food system: the case of the UK’s Plymouth Fish Finger

Pettinger, C., Parsons, K., Chavez-Ugalde, Y. I., Hunt, L. and Wagstaff, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9400-8641 (2026) Using expert elicitation and systems mapping to support social innovation in the (blue) food system: the case of the UK’s Plymouth Fish Finger. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. ISSN 1365-277X (In Press)

Abstract/Summary

Background: The imperative for food system transformation is well known, yet to date there has been minimal emphasis on the blue food system [foods sourced from marine and freshwater environments]. Generally, a food systems approach should shift away from linear and move towards more systems thinking to embrace complexity. This paper focuses on a local social innovation project (Plymouth Fish Finger (PFF)) which has pioneered localising the blue food system. This study aimed to elicit how the (policy and practice) system around the PFF can be appraised to optimise social innovation practices for (blue) food system transformation Methods: Expert elicitation combined with group model building (GMB) to co-create and validate a ‘Causal Loop Diagram’ (CLD) to visually understand the policy and practice implication and needs of the PFF initiative. Purposive sampling to recruit a range (n=14 total) of experts representing the different parts of the system. Two ‘mapping’ workshops (one face-to-face, one online) facilitated elicitation of expert input into the process to enable establishment of a final synthesised systems map for critique and validation. Findings: Hand-created maps evolved into a validated CLD, containing 49 elements connected by 130 causal links and five feedback loops. These loops revealed how demand generation, supply chain capacity, economic viability, trust and product consistency, and infrastructural constraints, reinforce or balance system performance. Six themes emerged: i) demand generation, ii) supply chain constraints, iii) economic viability, iv) social innovation and trust, v) nutritional guidance and vi) unintended consequences. The CLD also enabled interventions to be pinpointed within a system to inform policy/practice actions for change. Conclusions: We illustrate how systems thinking and expert elicitation approaches have successfully encouraged dynamic dialogue, to support the identification of future policy and practice interventions. This demonstrates how social innovation projects can be championed and their powerful potential for catalysing (blue) food system transformation better realised.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/128855
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences > Human Nutrition Research Group
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell
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