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In the quest for sustainable transitions across agri-food systems, and enhanced welfare in companion/zoo animal environments, change is needed.

Change could, for example, involve the uptake of new technologies, the adoption of new practices, or social learning and innovation. There is no tangible benefit of science and innovation to people, production, or the planet, without humans implementing change on the ground. Additionally, change cannot be fair or ‘just’ (benefits/costs shared equally across society, societal involvement in change) without the inclusion of humans (and non-humans) in setting the direction of change. have highlighted several challenges for the substantive inclusion of humans in research and policy around sustainable transitions. This can result in decisions being made without the input of key ‘change-makers’, meaning those people who have to implement the change.

The inter-disciplinary ‘Engaging for Change’ group places human ‘stakeholders’ at the centre of its work. Though the group is focused on learnings from the social sciences around stakeholder inclusion, it welcomes scholars from all disciplines who wish to engage humans in their research. Recognising the complexities associated with the term , the group meets regularly to discuss best practices for, and innovative solutions to, the substantive inclusion of humans in research and policy. The main aim is to ensure that research projects, and the recommendations emerging from them, are shaped by the people most affected by change. We are also interested in innovative methodologies to capture non-human perspectives on change.