This paper examines the potential for a socio ecological just transition in Sussex, UK, focusing on how rewilding, nature recovery, and sustainable food and farming practices intersect within an evolving policy and ecological landscape. Drawing on 6 case studies, 13 interviews, 3 stakeholder workshops, and a review of national and regional policy frameworks, the study explores how justice concerns shape land use transitions. It introduces a relational socio-ecological justice framework that emphasises the interdependence of human and non-human systems, highlighting how equity, inclusion and ecosystem wellbeing must be jointly considered.
Findings show that ecological and social connectivity, through wildlife corridors and networks linking practitioners across food and nature sectors, play a critical role in enabling integrated approaches. Storytelling and public engagement help build support for rewilding and regenerative farming, although sometimes ahead of robust evidence. Significant inequities emerge in access to land, funding, infrastructure and affordable sustainable food, creating uneven capacities for action between large estates and smaller community led initiatives. Tensions persist around land sharing versus land sparing, deer population management, woodland expansion, and the implications of reduced food production.
At the same time, the study identifies promising synergies between biodiversity restoration, agroecological food production, wellbeing, and local innovations. Despite ambitious legislation, policy implementation remains fragmented, with limited integration across food, farming and nature recovery goals. The paper argues that a socio-ecological just transition requires adaptive, context-sensitive approaches, inclusive governance, equitable resource distribution, and attention to both human and non-human needs. It proposes justice-informed principles to guide future policy and practice, emphasising recognition, representation, distribution, and reparation in human-nature relationships. By adopting integrated, relational approaches, Sussex has the potential to pioneer transitions that support both people and nature.
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