scholarly journals Competitiveness of Regional Agri-Food Systems: A Theoretical Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-353
Author(s):  
Valentina P. Neganova ◽  
Yury F. Chistyakov, ◽  
Veniamin V. Drokin, ◽  
Aleksey S. Zhuravlev ◽  
Vladislav M. Sedelnikov

Numerous interpretations of the competitiveness of regional agri-food system in the scientific literature are predominantly fragmentary depending in specific goals of research. This creates problems for universalizing approaches, identifying areas of their complementarity, and integrating new definitions. To systematize existing interpretations of the competitiveness of regional agri-food systems and identify new areas of research, we carried out a structured review of the scientific publication from peer-reviewed academic journals indexed in international and Russian databases. We applied the method of content analysis to identify the definitions of the “competitiveness”, “sustainable competitiveness”, “regional agri-food systems”. Moreover, we calculated the average percentage of journal articles mentioning these categories per year. Cluster analysis of journal articles allowed identifying general concepts of the competitiveness of regional agri-food. As a result we systematized the definitions of the concept of «competitiveness of regional agri-food systems» depending on research area, actors and the level of sustainability of competitiveness. The systematization and classificatio n o f researc h investigatin g th e competitivenes s o f regiona l agri-food systems enabled determining new areas of future research. Firstly, a more detailed analysis of the factors of the sustainable competitiveness of regional agri-food systems, particularly in pandemic and post-pandemic periods is of critical importance. Secondly, searching for a comprehensive toolkit for ensuring sustainable competitiveness of regional agri-food systems, as well as cooperation and competition among the agri-food companies in the Internet can be a focus for future research.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3423
Author(s):  
Phillip Warsaw ◽  
Steven Archambault ◽  
Arden He ◽  
Stacy Miller

Farmers markets are regular, recurring gatherings at a common facility or area where farmers and ranchers directly sell a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other locally grown farm products to consumers. Markets rebuild and maintain local and regional food systems, leading to an outsized impact on the food system relative to their share of produce sales. Previous research has demonstrated the multifaceted impacts that farmers markets have on the communities, particularly economically. Recent scholarship in the United States has expanded inquiry into social impacts that markets have on communities, including improving access to fresh food products and increasing awareness of the sustainable agricultural practices adopted by producers, as well developing tools for producers and market stakeholders to measure their impact on both producers and communities. This paper reviews the recent scholarship on farmers markets to identify recent trends and synthesizes the current evidence describing the ways in which farmers markets contribute to the wellbeing of their communities, as well as identifying areas for additional future research.


Author(s):  
Annika Lonkila ◽  
Minna Kaljonen

AbstractIncreasing concerns for climate change call for radical changes in food systems. There is a need to pay more attention to the entangled changes in technological development, food production, as well as consumption and consumer demand. Consumer and market interest in alternative meat and milk products—such as plant based milk, plant protein products and cultured meat and milk—is increasing. At the same time, statistics do not show a decrease in meat consumption. Yet alternatives have been suggested to have great transitional potential, appealing to different consumer segments, diets, and identities. We review 123 social scientific journal articles on cell-based and plant-based meat and milk alternatives to understand how the positioning of alternatives as both same and different in relation to animal-based products influences their role within the protein transition. We position the existing literature into three themes: (1) promissory narratives and tensions on markets, (2) consumer preferences, attitudes, and behavioral change policies, (3) and the politics and ethics of the alternatives. Based on our analysis of the literature, we suggest that more research is needed to understand the broader ethical impacts of the re-imagination of the food system inherent in meat and milk alternatives. There is also a need to direct more attention to the impacts of meat and milk alternatives to the practices of agricultural practices and food production at the farm-level. A closer examination of these research gaps can contribute to a better understanding of the transformative potential of alternatives on a systemic level.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-172
Author(s):  
Christopher Maughan ◽  
Christopher Maughan

Urban gardening finds itself at a juncture – not only are crises caused and exacerbated by the industrial food system urgently demonstrating the need for more localised, sustainable, and democratically-determined food systems, but alternative food movements are increasingly negotiating crises of their own. Critical Foodscapes was a one-day conference part-funded by Warwick’s Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) and the Food GRP. The conference was put together with the intention of bringing a ‘critical studies’ approach to the emerging research area of urban community food growing; namely, to put critical – but constructive – pressure on some of the assumptions which underlie current theory and practice of the various forms of urban food growing. This article offers some reflections on the conference itself as well as on the prospects for urban gardening more generally.


2001 ◽  
pp. 218-230
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang

A research area that has gained interest of marketing researchers in recent years is the comparison of consumer behavior on the Internet and traditional brick-and-mortar stores. We offer an overview of the recent developments in this research area and summarize the key findings along two dimensions: 1) factors that may cause behavioral differences in the two types of shopping environments; and 2) patterns of behavioral differences identified in the literature. We also outline our own recent work as an example to illustrate how this stream of research can help improve marketing strategies and tactics on the Internet. Directions for future research are discussed in the last section.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniek Hebinck ◽  
Odirilwe Selomane ◽  
Esther Veen ◽  
Anke de Vrieze ◽  
Saher Hasnain ◽  
...  

Urban food systems are a key lever for transformative change towards sustainability, and research reporting on the role of urban food initiatives in supporting sustainability is increasing. However, an overview of such initiatives and their transformative potential is lacking, as contextual and disciplinary-fragmented research complicates what insights can be drawn to support larger-scale sustainability transformations. We provide such an overview by synthesizing multidisciplinary research on urban food initiatives and by exploring their transformative potential. We developed a typology for urban food initiatives and present a framework of processes and outcomes that are steppingstones to sustainable food system transformation. We show that different types of urban food initiatives perform distinct roles that support sustainability. Unpacking three areas of concern, we conclude with a future research agenda. This is a first step towards integration of urban food research and of providing urban food governance with the tools to shape more sustainable systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Makrides ◽  
Olga Kvasova ◽  
Alkis Thrassou ◽  
Elias Hadjielias ◽  
Alberto Ferraris

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to systematically collate and scrutinize the state of the art on consumer cosmopolitanism (CCOS) from an international marketing perspective and to provide a foundation for future research on the subject matter to proliferate and prosper.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of the extant literature was conducted focusing on peer-reviewed journal articles published in major marketing, international business and management journals.FindingsA systematic analysis of 44 journal articles shows that CCOS research is a rapidly growing research stream in the international marketing field. However, at the same time, the results reveal a lack of coherent and consistent conceptual underpinning, conflicting empirical findings regarding the profile and behavior of cosmopolitan consumers, persisting knowledge gaps, as well as methodological and contextual weaknesses.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to consolidate the pertinent literature on CCOS. In doing so, it provides a roadmap for future research with reference to theory, context and methodology based on the research inconsistencies and knowledge gaps identified, contributing toward the development of this research area.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Horst ◽  
B. Gaolach

AbstractFoodshed analysis provides a way to assess the capacity of regions to feed themselves. While dozens of foodshed analyses have been completed across North America, they have not been systematically analyzed. This paper reviews 22 foodshed analyses completed in the USA and Canada between 2000 and 2013. The criteria used to evaluate the foodshed studies are authorship/type of publication, spatial extent, goals and questions, methods and data sources for assessing consumption and production, analysis of pathways from production to consumption and findings. Similarities and differences, along with strengths and weaknesses, are identified. Together, the foodshed studies indicate significant opportunity for food system relocalization across North America. Foodshed studies are a potentially powerful tool for policy analysis and planning. A future research agenda for foodshed studies is identified, including addressing data gaps and establishing more standardized models for evaluating production, consumption and pathways.


Zygote ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Herranz

The scope of this article is to answer two questions: first, when were the terms embryo (E), gamete (G) and zygote (Z) coined, and second, who were the scientists who put them in circulation? In order to clarify and document the origin of these three words, a vast amount of biomedical literature, particularly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has been reviewed; an undertaking made possible by the free access to the massive repository of available scientific literature on the Internet. Furthermore, as a result of this analysis, I would like to raise some ethical aspects of scientific publication, in particular the obligation of scientists to personally assess the quality and source of data they take from the literature and use in their publications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poppy Nicol ◽  
Alice Taherzadeh

Co-operative ways of working can be understood as people-centred approaches. This article considers how co-operative ways of working have the potential to support the scaling-out of sustainable and just food systems in the context of Wales through people-centred change. Drawing upon a series of interviews with stakeholders involved in the sustainable and the co-operative food sector within Wales and international case studies, opportunities and challenges facing the scaling-out of sustainable and just food systems are considered. Findings demonstrate the potential of co-operative and community-based approaches to sustainable production, processing, distribution, and trading of healthy food that is affordable, culturally appropriate, and based upon an ethic of justice and care for land, workers, and animals. Community supported agriculture, incubator farms, food hubs, and platform co-operatives are identified as key mechanisms for sustainable and just food systems. Capacity building through education, information, and training are further critical foundations for co-operative and people-centred ways of working. In order to accelerate sustainable and just food futures, community-based participation, networks for training, access to resources and land, and transformative forms of governance, including legislative change, are key. We conclude by highlighting implications for future research into policy transfer and food system transformation.


Author(s):  
Julia Russell ◽  
Margot W. Parkes

People experiencing homelessness are known to be highly food insecure, but outside of emergency aid little is known about their overall experiences with food, particularly in Canada’s northern communities. This study examined experiences that influenced access to food for people experiencing homelessness in a small city in northern British Columbia. Early findings underscored the importance of the impacts of colonization when seeking to understand food access in this context, and the value of lived experiences (including people with experiences of homelessness) when seeking to understand Indigenous food systems and food sovereignty as part of a re-emerging food system. The research drew on ethnography and case study methodology with modified community mapping to explore the food systems of the participants, who identified as First Nations, Métis or had mixed Indigenous and European ancestry. A focus group and subsequent interviews revealed a dynamic and complex food system. The flexible research design enabled participants to creatively express the food-related issues, challenges and successes most pertinent to their lives. Key food-related themes were social connections, as well as connections to the land and to culture. Participants’ experiences, actions and desires regarding food, health and well-being highlighted Indigenous food sovereignty as an overarching concept which offers an adaptable, holistic approach that can accommodate complexity. It is a valuable direction for future research and practice seeking to improve food security and health.


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