Localizing global food: short food supply chains as responses to agri‐food system challenge

The present food system faces major challenges in terms of sustainable development along social, economic and environmental dimensions. These challenges are often associated with industrialised production processes and longer and less transparent distribution chains. Thus, closer distribution systems through Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) may be considered as a sustainable alternative. This study explores the role of different types of SFSCs and their contribution to sustainability through participants’ (consumers, retailers and producers) views and perceptions. As part of the European H2020 project “Strength2Food” we conducted a cross-case analysis and examined 12 European SFSC cases from six countries: France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland and the UK. We applied a mixed method approach including primary data collection, via in-depth interviews and customer surveys, as well as desk research. The findings suggest that, irrespective of the type of SFSC, a strong agreement among the participants were found on the contribution of SFSCs to social sustainability. However, participants’ views considerably differ regarding the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. These differences relate to the way the SFSCs were organised and to some degrees to regional differences attributed to the significance of SFSC in different parts of Europe. The article concludes that the spatial heterogeneity of SFSCs, including supply chain actor differences, different types and organisational forms of SFSCs as well as regional and territorial characteristics, must be taken into account and further emphasised in future policies aimed at strengthening European food chain sustainability.

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The Impact of Resource and Nutritional Resilience on the Global Food Supply System

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12020751 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 751 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Wayne Martindale ◽

Mark Swainson ◽

Sonal Choudhary

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food System ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Critical Control Points ◽

Development Goals ◽

The Impact ◽

Global Food ◽

Global Food Supply

Pressure points in global food supply where resilience in supply chains can be limited or controlled are the equivalent of Critical Control Points in food safety systems. The approach of using critical control in supply chains can provide insights for nutritional improvement, sustainable food trade and food waste reduction. The pressure points determine the provision of a secure and sustainable food system where the outcomes of reducing their criticality are identified in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other international programmes. These seek to reduce climate change impact and improve public health provision. While policy makers are rightly focussed on these targets, the data analysis methods required to rank and associate resource flow pressure points with commercial food supply chains and nutritional goals remain untested. Here, we show how methodologies can identify where opportunities to tackle future criticality exist, and where they are currently being overlooked for food categories that have the greatest consumer and dietary protein demand. The analysis provides insights that identify where latent restrictions in resilience can occur, so that the future risk of food insecurity is reduced.

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The Coexistence of Local and Global Food Supply Chains: The Lombardy Region Case Study

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture10110540 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 540

Author(s):

Chiara Mazzocchi ◽

Stefano Corsi ◽

Giordano Ruggeri

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food System ◽

Least Square ◽

Alternative Food ◽

Alternative Food Networks ◽

Lombardy Region ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Food Networks ◽

Global Food

Over the last years, the trust of consumers in the quality and sustainability of the food system has weakened due to the disconnection between producers and consumers. Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) and Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs), born out of the perceived loss of trust in the globalized food system, are trying to shorten the gap between farmers and consumers. Nowadays, many scholars agree that local and global food systems coexist, and consumers usually buy both in local and in global food chains. Our study aims to understand the factors that affect the development of AFNs with a specific focus on the interactions with small- and large-scale food retailing in the Lombardy region in the north of Italy. We employ an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) model, on a municipal scale, in which the dependent variable measures the number of participatory activities carried out by farmers and consumers in AFNs. The main results highlight that conventional large retailers and alternative food networks are linked, and that the coexistence of the two market channels may lead to the development for both of them. Contrarily, where small stores exist, they may compete with an alternative food channel, as they offer similar products and services.

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The Potential Role of Short Food Supply Chains in Strengthening Periurban Agriculture in Spain: The Cases of Madrid and Barcelona

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11072080 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 2080 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carolina Yacamán Ochoa ◽

Alberto Matarán ◽

Rafael Mata Olmo ◽

Jose López ◽

Rafael Fuentes-Guerra

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food System ◽

Scale Up ◽

Vital Role ◽

Food Distribution ◽

Grocery Stores ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Periurban Agriculture ◽

Short Food Supply Chains

Periurban agriculture is being hit by the effects of the globalized food system, as well as by concrete aspects of urban sprawl. Nonetheless, proximity to the main markets provides an opportunity to sustain agriculture in highly urbanized areas. In this sense, an increasing number of local initiatives is arising within the context of Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs). The economic impact of these initiatives, however, is limited by problems and inefficiencies that hinder their capacity to scale up. The present paper sets forth the results of a research project developed in Madrid and Cataluña. The study is based upon documentary and empirical research addressing the main problems periurban farmers are facing in relation to local food distribution. Among other factors, these refer to regulatory barriers, logistics, competition and dealing with consumers’ preferences. We conducted a questionnaire with a representative group of farmers from each region in three towns presenting different demographic sizes along with another questionnaire extended to the owners of small grocery stores, who play a vital role in the supply of fresh food in these municipalities. Our research demonstrates that most of the problems arising when dealing with SFSCS can be solved by introducing new forms of cooperation among the different agents of the food chain.

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Short Food Supply Chains: rebuilding consumers’ trust.

New Medit ◽

10.30682/nm2104c ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Online Survey ◽

Food System ◽

Principal Component ◽

Point Of View ◽

Alternative Food Networks ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Short Food Supply Chains

Whereas population is showing increasing distrust rates in the regular agri-food system, Alternative Food Networks (AFN) are gradually gaining space. This paper analyses the role of a specific kind of AFN, Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) and its contribution to the restoration of consumers’ trust in Spain. An online survey (n= 423) focus on trust and concern over food safety was conducted. The survey was addressed to very concerned and active consumers, which are interesting because they represent a powerful consumers’ profile from the policies point of view. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) studied consumers’ preferences on the different SFSC categories. This paper draws a map that signals which of SFSC attributes (such as labelling, common values or direct contact with producers) are more relevant in order to build consumers’ trust. In addition, this paper offers a classification of SFSC consumers according to their priorities. The information provided by the article offers ideas to policy makers and producers for designing their marketing strategies according to different consumers’ demands.

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What Is Food-water and Why Do We not Account for It?

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199335084.013.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Martin Keulertz ◽

Tony Allan

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food System ◽

Food Choices ◽

Green Water ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Food Retailers ◽

Global Food System ◽

Global Food

With 92 percent of the water used by society for food-water, the behavior of consumers determines the demand for food and water. This chapter examines the extent to which global society can manage sustainably the water resources on which its food security depends. Many market players ensure the demand for food is met in supply chains that are embedded in the global food system, linking farmers, agri-industries that supply inputs, food traders, food manufacturers, and food retailers. Food-water risk highlights the importance of the food choices of consumers, as their wasteful practices squander volumes of water and energy along the food supply chains. It is important to recognize that food supply chains are often blind to the costs of blue and green water as an input and to the impacts of misallocating and mismanaging water. This chapter thus discusses the politics of food and the need to account for water.

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Local Dairy Supply Chains: A Profitability Analysis in Haryana

Indian Journal of Economics and Development ◽

10.35716/ijed/ns20-041 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 508-511

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Dairy Products ◽

Food System ◽

Economic Viability ◽

Milk Supply ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Financial Position ◽

Profitability Analysis ◽

Dairy Processing

The shorter food supply chains were the emerging trend in the agro-food system. The characteristic of local food supply chains are regional, freshness, quality products, and health benefits to the consumers. The present study explores the existing local dairy supply chains in the Haryana state. The local dairy supply chains were analysed and found that the shorter milk supply chains were more profitable with reduced intermediaries and higher producer shares in consumer rupees for all dairy products. The supply chains which involved intermediaries had lesser cost per unit of operation in dairy processing but fetched lower prices due to the quality issues and more distance travelled by dairy products. The economic viability and financial position of the processing units exhibited favourable results for both supply chains but it was higher for Supply Chain-I.

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Kurze Ketten im Lebensmittelbereich

Standort ◽

10.1007/s00548-021-00704-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gesine Tuitjer

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Short Food Supply Chains

ZusammenfassungShort Food Supply Chains (SFSC), also kurze Wertschöpfungsketten im Lebensmittelbereich, sind ein verbreiteter Ansatz in der Regionalentwicklung – im ländlichen wie auch im städtischen Kontext. Aufgrund der Breite des Konzeptes sind empirische Belege für die regionalen Auswirkungen von kurzen Ketten jedoch uneindeutig und ihrem konkreten Aufbau stehen teilweise große Herausforderungen gegenüber. Im vorliegenden Text werden Direktvermarktung, Regionalvermarktungsinitiativen und regionalisierte vertikale Wertschöpfungsketten behandelt. Der Text fasst Ergebnisse einzelner Fallstudien zusammen, die zwischen 2015 und 2019 in 6 ländlichen Kreisen durchgeführt wurden. Im Text werden Herausforderungen für die Entwicklung dieser kurzen Ketten skizziert und mögliche Chancen aufgezeigt. Der Ausbau von alternativen Vermarktungswegen kann beispielsweise durch Infrastruktur im Bereich der Lagerung und Logistik unterstützt werden. Ein weiteres zentrales Ergebnis stellt die Notwendigkeit von Netzwerkvermittlern dar, die Kooperationen zwischen Produzenten innerhalb einer Region entlang vertikaler Wertschöpfungsketten begleiten bzw. initiieren.

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The Behavior of Dairy Consumers in Short Food Supply Chains during COVID-19 Pandemic in Suceava Area, Romania

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13063072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 3072 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ioan Sebastian Brumă ◽

Codrin Dinu Vasiliu ◽

Steliana Rodino ◽

Marian Butu ◽

Lucian Tanasă ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Supply Chains ◽

Food Supply ◽

Distribution System ◽

Dairy Products ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Emerging Market ◽

Buying Behavior ◽

Food Supply Chains ◽

Short Food Supply Chains ◽

Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

In Romania, there is an emerging market of dairy products delivered through short food supply chains. Although this distribution system has existed since the communist period, and even though more than three decades have passed since then, the market fails to be mature, subject to taxation, or achieve a high diversity in terms of dairy categories, with a consolidated marketing culture that has significant effects on the regional socio-economic environment. The aim of this study was to observe whether the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has influenced consumer behavior regarding dairy products delivered directly from producers in Suceava County, Romania. The research is based on a survey conducted between April and May, 2020, and the analysis relies on both quantitative and qualitative methods (namely, anthropological and ethnographic). From the provided responses, it a change was observed in the future buying behavior on short food supply chains, in a positive sense. One of the key findings was that family represents the main environment for passing on the values that influence the buying behavior. Another key finding was that the behavioral changes on the short food supply chains exert pressure on their digital transformations.

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