What knowledge is required to grow food? A framework for understanding horticulture's skills ‘crisis’

Abstract For more than a decade actors in Europe, North America and Australasia have been warning of crises with horticultural skills, highlighting shortages specialists, educational programmes traineeships. Related warnings predict worsening skilled workers essential for production crops. Analysis recent strategies from the UK finds these problems poorly defined characterised, without articulating what skills comprise, tending to misconstrue causes. This paper aims characterise food growing knowledge systems challenges they face. The result is new definition conceptual framework enhance understanding sector's formulation solutions. valorises often portrayed as unskilled, demonstrates how labour are wholly inter-linked. Knowledge flows found be affected by multiple impediments which contribute sense crisis. Unresolved questions regarding this system present avenues research better understand future prospects demonstrate value critical social science can bring topic.