The pressing environmental challenges of our time demand substantial transformations within organisations. The agri-food industry is particularly significant in this context, functioning as a complex system often linked to various unsustainable practices. This research aims to enhance our understanding of the agri-food system by employing a historical perspective. By delving into the past, we can evaluate the long-term effects of innovations on sustainability. We conduct life-history interviews to investigate the evolving perceptions of legitimacy surrounding innovations within the agri-food sector, particularly in relation to sustainability throughout recent history. Our focus is on the dynamics and interrelationships among key stakeholders within this domain. Relying on collective memories of long-established family-owned enterprises, we aim to elucidate how the legitimacy of disruptive innovations has shifted over time concerning productivity and sustainability. This research makes a substantial contribution to the literature on collective memories and legitimacy while also enriching the discourse on disruptive innovations by examining historical narratives and their enduring effects on sustainability practices.
