scholarly journals The dilemma of scaling up local food initiatives: Is social infrastructure the essential ingredient?

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Connelly ◽  
Mary Beckie
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Social Infrastructure ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
The Status ◽  
Comparative Case Studies ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The City

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on and compare two responses to the challenge of scaling up local food initiatives.  Comparative case studies of the Good Food Box in the City of Edmonton and the Rimbey farmers’ market are used to examine the different strategies used to scale up their impacts as a means of providing a meaningful alternative to the status quo.  Our findings suggest that investments in social infrastructure are crucial for maintaining the values and integrity of local food initiatives and also to highlight the challenges of doing so while in competition with the mainstream food system.  Our research identifies how social infrastructure investments for local food initiatives can support radical and strategic incremental changes by managing the risk associated with transformative local food activities and provides opportunities for a reflexive approach to scale by identifying the levers and catalysts for broader change to ensure that investments in food system infrastructure are not made merely for the sake of scaling-up.    Social infrastructure is identified as critical for building support for, and attention to, opportunities to scale out and develop connections, networks and partnerships for change beyond food.

Creating a local food procurement community of practice: The Alberta Flavour Learning Lab

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Anne Beckie ◽  
Leanne Hedberg ◽  
Jessie Radies
Keyword(s):  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Local Foods ◽  
Social Infrastructure ◽  
City Region ◽  
Physical Scale ◽  
Common Framework

In order for local food initiatives (LFIs) to have a transformative effect on the larger food system, greater levels of economic, organizational and physical scale are needed. One way for LFIs to reach the scale necessary to generate a more significant impact is through increased institutional procurement of local foods. But how do people and organizations come together to generate the social infrastructure required to shift food purchasing practices and processes? This field report shares the story of an innovative community of practice consisting of institutional food buyers, large-scale distributors, regional retailers, processors, producers, researchers, municipal and provincial government representatives within the Edmonton city-region that formed for the express purpose of “creating a positive community impact by getting more local foods on more local plates”. In describing the formation and first three years of the Alberta Flavour Learning Lab we examine the unique characteristics of this community of practice that has aided the development of a common framework for learning, understanding and joint action. In addition to the accomplishments to date, we also discuss the challenges faced by the Learning Lab and the strategies used to overcome them.  

scholarly journals Scaling up Smart City Logistics Projects: The Case of the Smooth Project

Smart Cities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1337-1365
Author(s):  
Eleonora Sista ◽  
Pietro De De Giovanni
Keyword(s):  
Smart City ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
City Logistics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The City ◽  
Roll Out

A large number of smart city logistics projects fail to scale up, remaining a local experimental exercise. This lack of scalability is, in fact, commonly recognized as a major problem. This study aims to determine the key success factors related to the scalability of smart city logistics projects. The process of scaling up, which is articulated as expansion, roll-out, and replication, is defined as the ability of a system to improve its scale by aiming to meet the increasing volume demand. Specifically, this study investigates the scalability intended to be used as expansion and roll-out. A qualitative case study was conducted to fulfill the research purpose. The chosen case study is SMOOTh, a pilot project currently underway in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, involving a diverse group of companies including Volvo Group and DHL. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven of the project’s stakeholders. Through a thematic analysis, four categories and the respective success factors were identified. These were represented by a business model, as well as technical, stakeholder and regulatory factors. The paper concludes with observations and recommendations aimed at the pilot initiatives, adding new perspectives to the upscaling debate.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Micronutrient Supplementation from Local Food of Bada Fish (Stolephorus Insularis) on the Status of Anemia Among Adolescents in Padang City

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safyanti . ◽  
Andrafikar .
Keyword(s):  
Iron Absorption ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Micronutrient Supplementation ◽  
Additional Food ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Supplementary Food ◽  
West Sumatra ◽  
The Status ◽  
The One ◽  
The City

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of functional supplementary food formulas of the bada fish flour against the levels of adolescent Hb in the city of Padang, West Sumatra Province. This research is a continuation of the previous research – preparing additional food products for anemia (FUMIA) based on local food ingredients of bada fish in the form of cookies. The research design used was the One Group Free Post T by conducting an efficacy test on the FUMIA formula intervention with a duration of intervention of 21 days. The results showed an increase in the average Hb level of the subjects before being given an intervention of 0.35 mg%, but not significantly different. For further research, it is necessary to increase the number of subjects/research samples and the implementation of longer interventions and the provision of interventions accompanied by the provision of foods containing high vitamin C so that iron absorption is better.

City food flow analysis. A new method to study local consumption

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Heidrun Moschitz ◽  
Rebekka Frick
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Food Provisioning ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Nearby Region ◽  
The City ◽  
Global Food

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present and discuss a new approach to assess a city's supply with food from the nearby region: the city food flow analysis. In view of the growing challenges of the global food system, the local level has increasingly been identified—both by citizen-consumers and city administrations—as a relevant scale to develop sustainable alternatives. Although different actors often agree on the aim to increase local food supply, the discussions and initiatives convey the lack of knowledge and data about the actual origin of food supplied to cities. Without knowing where food comes from and through which channels it reaches the consumer, it is difficult to develop alternatives that could eventually change the food system. This paper presents and discusses the city food flow analysis as a methodology to close this lack of information. It consists of a four-step approach that leads to a clear picture on the local food production around a city, the consumption of local food in a city and the importance of different supply chains for local food in the city, including retail and gastronomy. The methodology is illustrated with the example of two cases (cities). The city food flow analysis provides detailed information about the current situation of urban food provisioning, which city stakeholders can use to start an informed discussion process about necessary changes in the food system, re-embedding of cities into their territorial context. However, data are not always fully available, which is a result in itself that illustrates the challenges of re-localizing local food provisioning.

scholarly journals Virtual barriers: unpacking the sustainability implications of online food spaces and the Yellowknife Farmers Market’s response to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josalyn Radcliffe ◽  
Kelly Skinner ◽  
Andrew Spring ◽  
Lise Picard ◽  
France Benoit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Online Markets ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Sustainable Food System

Abstract Background Through their support of local agriculture, relationships, and healthy diets, farmers markets can contribute to a sustainable food system. Markets like the Yellowknife Farmers Market (YKFM) are social spaces that support local food, yet the COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to their current model. We explore the potential of online marketplaces to contribute to a resilient, sustainable food system through a case study of the YKFM. Methods In 2019, a collaborative mixed-method evaluation was initiated by the YKFM and university partners in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. The evaluation included an in-person Rapid Market Assessment dot survey and questionnaire of market patrons from two YKFM dates prior to the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, a vendor survey and interviews were deferred. Data collected from the two patron surveys, alongside researcher observations, available literature, public announcements, and informal email and phone discussions, inform the discussion. Results For the patron surveys, 59 dot survey and 31 questionnaire participants were recruited. The top motivators for attendance were eating dinner, atmosphere, and supporting local businesses, and most patrons attended as couples and spent over half of their time talking to others. The YKFM did not move online; instead, they proposed and implemented a “Shop, don’t stop” market. Informal conversations suggested the small scale of the market and technology challenges were perceived barriers to moving online. The physically-distanced market was well-attended and featured in local media. Conclusions NWT food strategies rely on farmers markets to nurture a local food system. Data suggest a potential incongruence between an online model and important market characteristics such as the event-like atmosphere. Available literature suggests online markets can support local food by facilitating purchasing and knowledge-sharing, yet they do not replicate the open-air or social experience. The decision not to move online for the YKFM reflects market patron characteristics and current food context in Yellowknife and the NWT. While online adaptation does not fit into the YKFM plan today, online markets may prove useful as a complementary strategy for future emerging stressors to enhance the resiliency of local systems.

scholarly journals Modelling the Prevalence of Hepatitis B Towards Eliminating It as a Major Public Health Threat in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Liu ◽  
Tianyi Zhuang ◽  
Ruyi Xia ◽  
Zhuoru Zou ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Antiviral Prophylaxis ◽  
Hbsag Prevalence ◽  
Health Threat ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
The Status

Abstract Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) requires a reduction in the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) in children to 0.1% by 2030, a key indicator for eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat. Whether and how China can achieve this target remains unknown, although great achievements have been made. We aimed to predict the decline of HBsAg prevalence in China and identify key developments needed to achieve the target.Methods: An age- and time-dependent dynamic compartmental model was constructed based on the natural history of HBV infection and the national history and current status of hepatitis B control. The model was run from 2006 to 2040 to predict the decline of HBsAg prevalence under three scenarios including maintaining current interventions (status quo), status quo + peripartum antiviral prophylaxis (recommended by WHO in 2020), and scaling up available interventions.Results: Under the status quo, HBsAg prevalence would decrease steadily in all age groups, but the WHO’s target of 0.1% prevalence in children aged < 5 years would not be achieved until 2037. The results are robust according to sensitivity analyses. Under the status quo + antiviral prophylaxis, the HBsAg prevalence of children aged < 5 years would significantly decrease with the introduction of peripartum antiviral prophylaxis, and the higher the successful interruption coverage is achieved, the more significant the decline. However, even if the successful interruption coverage reaches 90% by 2030, the 0.1% prevalence target would not be met until 2031. Under the scaling up available interventions, combined with scale-up of current interventions, the WHO’s 0.1% target would be achieved on time or one year in advance if peripartum antiviral prophylaxis is introduced and the successful interruption coverage is scaled up to 80% or 90% by 2030, respectively.Conclusions: It is difficult for China to achieve the WHO’s target of 0.1% HBsAg prevalence in children by 2030 by maintaining current interventions. Peripartum antiviral prophylaxis may play an important role to shorten the time to achieve the target. A comprehensive scale-up of available interventions including peripartum antiviral prophylaxis will ensure that China achieves the target on schedule.

scholarly journals Virtual Barriers: Unpacking the Sustainability Implications of Online Food Spaces and the Yellowknife Farmers Market’s Response to COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josalyn Radcliffe ◽  
Kelly Skinner ◽  
Andrew Spring ◽  
Lise Picard ◽  
France Benoit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Online Markets ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Sustainable Food System

Abstract Background: Through their support of local agriculture, relationships, and healthy diets, Farmers Markets can contribute to a sustainable food system. Markets like the Yellowknife Farmers Market (YKFM) are social spaces that support local food, yet the COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to their current model. We explore the potential of online marketplaces to contribute to a resilient, sustainable food system through a case study of the YKFM.Methods: In 2019, a collaborative mixed-method evaluation was initiated by the YKFM and university partners in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. The evaluation included an in-person Rapid Market Assessment dot survey and questionnaire of market patrons from two YKFM dates prior to the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, a vendor survey and interviews were deferred. Data collected from the two patron surveys, alongside researcher observations, available literature, public announcements, and informal email and phone discussions, inform the discussion. Results: For the patron surveys, 59 dot survey and 31 questionnaire participants were recruited. The top motivators for attendance were eating dinner, atmosphere, and supporting local businesses, and most patrons attended as couples and spent over half of their time talking to others. The YKFM did not move online; instead, they proposed and implemented a “Shop, don’t stop” market. Informal conversations suggested the small scale of the market and technology challenges were perceived barriers to moving online. The physically-distanced market was well-attended and featured in local media. Conclusions: NWT food strategies rely on Farmers Markets to nurture a local food system. Data suggests a potential incongruence between an online model and important market characteristics such as the event-like atmosphere. Available literature suggests online markets can support local food by facilitating purchasing and knowledge-sharing, yet they do not replicate the open-air or social experience. The decision not to move online for the YKFM reflects market patron characteristics and current food context in Yellowknife and the NWT. While online adaptation does not fit into the YKFM plan today, online markets may prove useful as a complementary strategy for future emerging stressors to enhance the resiliency of local systems.

scholarly journals Local food policies – their constraints and drivers: Insights from Portuguese Urban Agriculture initiatives

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-235
Author(s):  
Cecília Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Food Policies

AbstractTwo interconnected questions are addressed in this paper: (i) why urban agriculture (UA) and food-related initiatives take usually years to materialise in Portugal; and (ii) why resilient initiatives do not scale up and shift from practices to local food policies. We argue that existing initiatives are viewed as single events and therefore garner quite limited long-term political commitment and support. Based on interviews with food champions and a literature review, four Portuguese UA initiatives are analysed and these highlight the constraints that hinder their scaling-up. We conclude that drivers to lead to scaling-up are a combination of factors, with an enabling environment the most relevant one. On the other hand, constraints are related to limited democratic governance and poor policies, insufficient funding and weak participatory processes. Such findings are quite in line with existing literature. The limited integration of Portugal within the international UA and food debates might partially explain why UA is still struggling to find its proper place in Portuguese cities and their peripheries. Raising awareness among decision makers is critical to scaling-up UA initiatives and turning them an integral component of local food systems. A national observatory able to gather relevant data and produce knowledge, assess and monitor on-going initiatives may be the key step to gather different stakeholders together, that can then better advocate and then lead to higher political support, not only in Portugal but in any country where UA and food issues are emerging.

Disruptive innovation and operationalization in local and sustainable food systems: Examining the University of Toronto-Local Food Plus partnership

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-139
Author(s):  
Lori Stahlbrand
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The University

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.

Инфраструктурные перегрузки как дисбаланс городской среды// Journal of Technical and Natural Sciences 5(14), 2019/ RELF Group & OEAPS Inc.(Open European Academy of Public Sciences); Chief Editor Vitaly Yakovlev- Berlin, Germany. 26.09.2019: OEAPS Inc., 2019. - PP. 37-43.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Татьяна Андреевна Водчиц
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Chief Editor ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Social Infrastructure ◽  
European Academy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Global Problems ◽  
The City

В предложенной статье поднята на рассмотрение общераспространённая проблематика напряженного состояния социальной инфраструктуры города на примере Москвы. Также берется к рассмотрению тот факт, что растущая инфраструктура – одна из глобальных проблем мегаполиса. Выявлены основные причины формирования дисбаланса городской среды. Предложен ряд способов возможного решения данной задачи.In the proposed article, the widespread problems of the tense state of the social infrastructure of the city are raised for consideration. Also taken into consideration is the fact that the growing infrastructure is one of the global problems of the metropolis. The main causes of the imbalance of the urban environment are revealed. A number of possible solutions to this problem are proposed.

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