There is a growing body of experience feeding the design of and motivation for social innovation labs as spaces that can be used to enable transformation or change. Olsson et al. (2004) have described transformation as a process with distinct phases: (1) preparing for change, (2) navigating the transition, and (3) building resilience of the new trajectory of development.
Two T-labs were held that brought together a diverse group of actors that are actively engaged in creating alternatives in the food industry of the Western Cape, including researchers, producers, food innovators and food activists. The T-labs were designed as a multi-actor innovation process that addresses pressing issues in local food systems- by aiming to better understand them, build coalitions of change, generate ideas and commitment, and test these ideas on the ground. By bringing together various actors in the “alternative” food system such as chefs, informal food vendors, activists and farmers into a safe space where they can engage in activities, dialogue and build networks, the overall aim of these T-labs was to create an enabling environment that can foster transformative processes in the food system.
