Scope of the Special Feature
We welcome submissions from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives, including human geography, political ecology, rural sociology, spatial planning, environmental and agricultural economics, and environmental sciences. Both conceptual papers and empirically grounded case studies are encouraged, including those that reflect on contested, incomplete, or even failed efforts to address socio-environmental conflict. Emphasizing knowledge co-production and real-world engagement, the Special Feature aims to generate actionable knowledge for both academic and policy audiences committed to building just and sustainable rural futures.
Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
• The specific forms and dynamics of rural socio-environmental conflicts emerging around land use, agriculture, conservation, renewable energy, and rural livelihoods;
• The structural and systemic drivers of rural socio-environmental conflicts, including their links to broader socio-technical, institutional, and ecological transitions;
• Conflict-sensitive approaches to research, including agonistic, participatory, or actionoriented methodologies;
• Science–society interactions in rural contexts, particularly collaborations engaging with local, traditional, or marginalized knowledge systems;
• The politics and practices of knowledge co-production in contested settings, including tensions and power asymmetries in participatory processes;
• Comparative or transboundary perspectives on rural conflict and transformation across European regions.
