Humans are currently grappling with the challenge of nitrogen (N) management, which involves a multidimensional trade-off between the benefits of N use and the consequences of N pollution. For this study, a deliberative experiment was conducted in which five N scientists, divided into two groups, envisioned the future of NH3 use in the 2050s, adopting the perspective of an imaginary future generation. Through this experience, the study encourages scientists to adopt the proposed framework and embrace freedom to explore desirable future visions, in addition to their usual task of empirically establishing universal disciplinary knowledge.

Humans are currently grappling with the challenge of nitrogen (N) management, which involves a multidimensional trade-off between the benefits of N use and the consequences of N pollution. The urgency to address this issue is already pronounced and may escalate further due to the emergence of ammonia (NH3) as a carbon-free energy resource. For this study, a deliberative experiment was conducted in which five N scientists, divided into two groups, envisioned the future of NH3 use in the 2050s, adopting the perspective of an imaginary future generation. The study revealed that some scientists encountered what is referred to in this study as the ‘positivist gap’, which involves difficulties forming narratives about unpredictable futures that rely on arbitrary assumptions. From this experience, this study develops and illustrates a framework that incorporates (i) Future Design workshops and (ii) abstracting operation for the workshop outputs. Although conducted in Japan, this study aims to inspire similar research in other countries.

A visioning experiment showed how scientists handle nitrogen trade-offs, imagining NH₃’s roles in a complex 2050 world.

The design of food systems is a common theme that requires stakeholders to prioritize long-term perspectives and balance between benefits for the present and future generations. Building on this theme, this study aims to demonstrate an intervention in individuals' policy preferences by helping them voluntarily adopt values for long-term policies and assessing its effectiveness through online deliberation experiments involving randomly selected consumers. The findings indicate that interventions incorporating the concept of imaginary future generations significantly influence individuals' food preferences and values.

Food systems are indispensable for the survival of the present generation and simultaneously have various effects on future generations. Therefore, the design of food systems is a typical theme requiring stakeholders to find value in a long-term perspective that achieves an appropriate balance between the benefits for the present and future generations. In this context, this study aims to demonstrate an intervention in individuals' policy preferences by assisting them in voluntarily acquiring values for long-term policies and verifying their effectiveness through online deliberation experiments with randomly selected food consumers (n = 153). The intervention used the future design method and the core concept of imaginary future people. The topic of this experimental study is policies on rice production and consumption in Japan. The findings suggest that interventions that incorporate the concept of imaginary future generations significantly influence individuals' food preferences and values, encouraging a shift toward a sustainable system through fundamental transformation rather than maintaining the current status quo. Based on these results, the authors discuss a pathway toward achieving a sustainable food system, in which collaborative efforts that transcend the individual positions of stakeholders are driven by forming a group identity among individuals willing to adopt the viewpoint of future generations.

The design of food systems is a common theme that requires stakeholders to prioritize long-term perspectives and balance between benefits for the present and future generations. Building on this theme, this study aims to demonstrate an intervention in individuals' policy preferences by helping them voluntarily adopt values for long-term policies and assessing its effectiveness through online deliberation experiments involving randomly selected consumers. The findings indicate that interventions incorporating the concept of imaginary future generations significantly influence individuals' food preferences and values. This concept has the potential to contribute to the realization of a sustainable food system through the establishment of collaborative relationships among various stakeholders.