Intermediary objects in transdisciplinary research: a podcast to foster alternative grain-to-bread chains in Wallonia

Echoing a wider questioning of agri-food systems and their sustainability, Alternative Bread Supply Chains (ABSC) are emerging in Western Europe. However, ABSC face challenges such as knowledge loss and the lack of connectivity between initiatives. The present study posits that enhancing networking and knowledge-sharing is crucial for the resilience of ABSC, particularly in Wallonia, Belgium. We hypothesize that a collaborative podcast could serve the strengthening and therefore the deployment ABSC. The podcast serves as an Intermediary Object (IO) to connect ABSC stakeholders in transdisciplinary research, fostering network weaving and knowledge forging. The podcast offers a platform for co-creation, serves as a gatherer and translator of different forms of fragmented knowledge, and sheds light on the complex realities of grain-to-bread supply chains. The podcast is an accessible medium which is reaching the ABSC community but also mainstream audiences and some public actors. Its storytelling helps to build the resilience of ABSC through knowledge sharing and narrative building. The podcast also allows a form of learning through an embodied and affective experience, playing on both senses and emotions. The paper opens a discussion about how this mode of learning can encourage engagement and action but also open perspectives for sustainable futures. This paper explores the methodology, and the way data was collected for such a project, offering a reflection on the ongoing process. While podcasts are popular, their use as research tools is still emerging. This paper argues that collaborative podcasts are valuable for participatory research with a holistic standpoint. In our case of ABSC, podcast can significantly contribute to their resilience and growth within an agroecological transition framework.