scholarly journals The reinterpretation of the agri-food system and its spatial dynamics through the industrial district

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 510-519
Author(s):  
F. Sforzi ◽  
M.C. Mancini
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Food System ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Industrial District ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Main Determinants ◽  
The Relationship

The industrial district theory has brought to the development economics the opportunity to interpret the economic change through places, where it actually is formed, as a result of the join action of the local and extra-local social, economic and institutional forces. This paper sets out to discuss the contribution that the industrial district theory can make to the debate on the spatial dynamics of agri-food systems in the age of globalisation. To this end, the first part of the paper analyses the contribution of the industrial district approach in the relationship between industry and territory; the second part studies the evolution of the concept of the agri-food system and the main determinants of the spatial dynamics in modern agri food systems. This paper supports that the industrial district theory can shed a new light on the spatial dynamics of agri-food systems, and can offer an alternative to the mainstream approach. In using the local community as a unit of analysis, the ID theory gives a key role to human agents of production and their knowledge and the agri-food system can be seen as ‘a global network of places’, each place being specialized in a different component of the system.  

scholarly journals Grassroots and Global Governance: Can Global–Local Linkages Foster Food System Resilience for Small Northern Canadian Communities?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2415
Author(s):  
Carla Johnston ◽  
Andrew Spring
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Governance ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Global Networks

Communities in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) are at the forefront of the global climate emergency. Yet, they are not passive victims; local-level programs are being implemented across the region to maintain livelihoods and promote adaptation. At the same time, there is a recent call within global governance literature to pay attention to how global policy is implemented and affecting people on the ground. Thinking about these two processes, we ask the question: (how) can global governance assist northern Indigenous communities in Canada in reaching their goals of adapting their food systems to climate change? To answer this question, we argue for a “community needs” approach when engaging in global governance literature and practice, which puts community priorities and decision-making first. As part of a collaborative research partnership, we highlight the experiences of Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, located in Kakisa, NWT, Canada. We include their successes of engaging in global network building and the systemic roadblock of lack of formal land tenure. Moreover, we analyze potential opportunities for this community to engage with global governance instruments and continue connecting to global networks that further their goals related to climate change adaptation and food sovereignty.

scholarly journals “When We Stand up, They Have to Negotiate with Us”: Power Relations in and between an Agroindustrial and an Indigenous Food System in Bolivia

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Jacobi ◽  
Aymara Llanque
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Food System ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Scientific Culture ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Production And Consumption

Our global food system is characterized by an increasing concentration and imbalance of power, with trade-offs between hunger, inequality, unsustainable production and consumption, and profit. A systematic analysis of power imbalances in food systems is required if we are to meet the 2030 Agenda vision of promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns and ending hunger and poverty. Such an analysis, with a view to a transformation to more sustainable and just food systems, requires tools to be developed and tested in real-life case studies of food systems. To better understand the structures and mechanisms around power in food systems, this study applies a political ecology lens. We adapted the “power cube” analysis framework that was proposed by the Institute of Development Studies for the analysis of spaces, forms, and levels of power. We apply the analysis of these three dimensions of power to two food systems in the tropical lowlands of Bolivia: one agroindustrial and one indigenous. After identifying food system actors, the food system spaces in which they interact, and what forms of power they use at what levels, we discuss some implications for an emerging scientific culture of power analyses in critical sustainability assessments. Mechanisms of hidden power undermine visible legislative power in both case studies, but in our example of an indigenous food system of the Guaraní people, visible power stays with a local community through their legally recognized and communally owned and governed territory, with important implications for the realization of the right to food.

Agri-food scholarship: Past, present and future contributions to Australasian rural sociology

2021 ◽  
pp. 144078332110096
Author(s):  
Kiah Smith ◽  
Geoffrey Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Food System ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Rural Sociology ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
The Future

The future of food and agriculture in Australasia will be defined by multiple social, economic, political and environmental tensions – with climate change and social inequalities playing a central role in the re-imagining of food systems in crisis. This article argues that rural sociology will continue to be well-served by the sociological research into the farming and food industries undertaken by antipodean scholars – especially those from Australia and New Zealand where agri-food scholarship has flourished. Analyses of the future dynamics of rural social/economic change, natural resource management (including land, water and minerals), new relations of work, labour and identity, emerging agricultural technologies, Indigenous and post-colonial politics, and food system governance will benefit from agri-food studies’ insights into agrarian transformation and governance, social and environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing, and the growth of resistance and alternatives.

scholarly journals One CGIAR and the Integrated Agri-food Systems Initiative: From short-termism to transformation of the world’s food systems

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252832
Author(s):  
Bram Govaerts ◽  
Christine Negra ◽  
Tania Carolina Camacho Villa ◽  
Xiomara Chavez Suarez ◽  
Anabell Diaz Espinosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Food System ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
National Level ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Time Dynamics ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Systems Transformation ◽  
Short Termism

Agri-food systems are besieged by malnutrition, yield gaps, and climate vulnerability, but integrated, research-based responses in public policy, agricultural, value chains, and finance are constrained by short-termism and zero sum thinking. As they respond to current and emerging agri-food system challenges, decision makers need new tools that steer toward multi-sector, evidence-based collaboration. To support national agri-food system policy processes, the Integrated Agri-food System Initiative (IASI) methodology was developed and validated through case studies in Mexico and Colombia. This holistic, multi-sector methodology builds on diverse existing data resources and leverages situation analysis, modeled predictions, and scenarios to synchronize public and private action at the national level toward sustainable, equitable, and inclusive agri-food systems. Culminating in collectively agreed strategies and multi-partner tactical plans, the IASI methodology enabled a multi-level systems approach by mobilizing design thinking to foster mindset shifts and stakeholder consensus on sustainable and scalable innovations that respond to real-time dynamics in complex agri-food systems. To build capacity for these types of integrated, context-specific approaches, greater investment is needed in supportive international institutions that function as trusted in-region ‘innovation brokers.’ This paper calls for a structured global network to advance adaptation and evolution of essential tools like the IASI methodology in support of the One CGIAR mandate and in service of positive agri-food systems transformation.

scholarly journals Preserving stories, preserving food:

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammara Soma ◽  
Jayda Wilson ◽  
Molly Mackay ◽  
Yuting Cao
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Economic Problem ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
The Relationship

Worldviews, cultures, spirituality, and history not only influence how societies define “food” and “waste”, they also shape how we consume food and the relationship we have with the broader food system. While food waste has emerged as a global concern and a complex “wicked problem” that impacts stakeholders at all scales of operations, the issue is often framed as an environmental and economic problem, and less so as a social problem. As the food waste literature expands at a rapid pace, there is still a dearth of studies that focus on cultural and intergenerational approaches to food preservation and food waste reduction. This exploratory study emerged from an upper-year research-based course entitled Building Sustainable Food Systems (REM 363- now REM 357) at Simon Fraser University and offers three vignettes through intergenerational and multicultural interviews from Siksika First Nation (Canada), Pakistan and China. Students from the class explored the roles of intergenerational storytelling and informal learning by conducting key informant interviews with close relatives to document traditional food preservation techniques.  This study created a transformative intergenerational and multicultural bonding opportunity, which allowed students to better understand their relationships to food, culture, and their relatives. The students also documented how the relationship to food has changed over time. Findings from the study suggest that intergenerational storytelling can help reduce food waste by increasing food literacy, improving cultural connections, and raising awareness about alternative worldviews that challenge the commoditization of food.

scholarly journals Environment or Economy? Food Concerns and Sustainable Food Transitions in the UK

Sociology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003803852110436
Author(s):  
Mike Foden ◽  
Emma Head ◽  
Tally Katz-Gerro ◽  
Lydia Martens
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Food Provisioning ◽  
Domestic Life ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Environmental Access ◽  
The Eu

Recent years have seen the emergence of calls for the transformation of food systems to make these more responsive to environmental, access and health challenges. Addressing how the UK food system may best meet these challenges, this article develops understanding of the multiple food concerns that guide practices of food provisioning at the intersection between markets and domestic life. Combining insights from a survey questionnaire and qualitative fieldwork from research that was part of the EU Horizon2020 SafeConsume project, we depict how practices of food provisioning are guided by concerns driven by economic and environmental logics. The findings suggest economy is prevalent while environmental food ethics are marginalised. The conclusion discusses how the adopted practice theoretical approach, which combines an analysis of the socio-material arrangements of provisioning and the relationship between food concerns and higher order considerations, advances understanding of the nature of food concerns and the challenges of sustainable food transitioning.

scholarly journals Agri-food systems: A regional perspective in innovation capabilities

ENTRAMADO ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-254
Author(s):  
Monica Gisela Dueñas Gómez ◽  
Leidy Dayhana Guarin Manrique ◽  
Efrén Romero Riaño ◽  
Luis Eduardo Becerra Ardila
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Global Network ◽  
System Level ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Export Orientation ◽  
Main Factors

Present days, food systems are part of a global network of production, processing, distribution and consumption. Several changes in food consumption patterns boost continuous improvement and development of the food system process and new food system models according to the stage of evolution and size of economies, diversification of rural areas, the efficiency of producer organizations, export orientation and market power of different contexts. The projected human population of nine billion by 2050 has led an ever-growing discussion of the need for increased productivity in agri-food systems. The aim of this paper is analyze the main factors affecting collaboration practices between actors at the institutional level of Agri-food System in Santander Colombia. The research methodology includes techniques of content analysis and structured written questionnaires. The analysis unit consisted of a sample of eighteen actors representing universities, companies, public entities focused on issues of science and technology of the agro and associations of producers, was conducted. The main findings show the most frequent collaboration practice and the main innovation capabilities at the system level. The main recommendations focus on promoting the management of vertical, horizontal and lateral integration and Virtual collaboration.

scholarly journals Shaping food systems towards improved nutrition: a case study on Tuscan Bread Protected Designation of Origin

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Galli ◽  
Francesca Venturi ◽  
Fabio Bartolini ◽  
Oriana Gava ◽  
Angela Zinnai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Food System ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Protected Designation Of Origin ◽  
The Relationship

The concern for the quality of food, its composition and contribution towards nutrition and health is widespread among public and private food system actors. The increasing interest in locally integrated supply chains leads to reconsider the configuration of the food system in relation to sustainability and health outcomes. This article focuses on the relationship between processing practices and nutritional value in the wheat-tobread sector, illustrated by a case study on the Tuscan Bread Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). By adopting a food system perspective, the case study shows how the different actors have mobilized to respond to multiple drivers of change. A mixed research method approach is adopted to illustrate the relationship between processing practices and nutritional value outcomes: practice-based indicators for each step of the chain are complemented with performance-based indicators of the chemical, physical and sensorial profile of Tuscan Bread PDO. Furthermore, the implications on food system governance of a differentiation strategy based on territorial origin and enhanced nutrition are discussed.

scholarly journals El sector citrícola de Nuevo León: caracterización del sistema agroalimentario como plataforma de integración del productor con la agroindustria

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (71) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Macario Pantoja Zavala ◽  
Felipe Flores Vichi
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Nuevo Leon ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Nuevo León ◽  
The Relationship

El objetivo del estudio es identificar a los productores y comercializadores del sistema citrícola de Nuevo León, para integrarlos al sector agroindustrial a partir de los procesos del enfoque metodológico de los sistemas agroalimentarios localizados. Con la teoría de los distritos agroindustriales y un análisis previo de la región con perspectiva histórica, geográfica, productiva y de relación entre los actores, de acuerdo con el esquema productivo, se podrá medir la articulación de éstos en virtud de sus atributos y diferencias, lo que creará condiciones de competitividad en el sector citrícola, y generará unidades empresariales basadas en la equidad y el manejo pertinente de los recursos naturales encaminados a las generaciones venideras. Los estudios sobre agricultura regional contribuyen a establecer la seguridad alimentaria, la estabilidad laboral y el desarrollo territorial y ambiental, según la premisa del desarrollo sustentable.Nuevo Leon’s citrus sector: characterization of the agri-food system as a platform for integration of the producer with agro-industryThe aim of the study is to identify the producers and marketers in Nuevo Leon’s citrus system in order to integrate them into the agro-industrial sector on the basis of the processes of the methodological approach to the localized agri-food systems. Using the agro-industrial districts theory and through a prior analysis of the region from a historical, geographical, productive perspective and taking into consideration the relationship among actors, according to the productive scheme, it will be possible to measure the interconnection among these by virtue of their attributes and differences. This will create competitive conditions in the citrus sector and generate business units based on equity and the appropriate management of natural resources destined to future generations. Studies on regional agriculture contribute to food security, job stability and territorial and environmental development, according to the sustainable development premise.

scholarly journals THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: Local foods: Seeds for social change

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
John Ikerd
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Food System ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Local Foods ◽  
Local Food Movement ◽  
Industrial Food Production ◽  
Systemic Problems

The local food movement has grown in direct response to the industrialization of the agri-food system—and more recently in response to the industrialization of organic foods. Locavores seem to have an intuitive understanding that the enviro­nmental and public health problems associated with industrial food production must be solved within the socioeconomic context of local commu­nities. Similarly, the problems of social justice can­not be solved without addressing the larger envi­ronmental and public health problems of society. Systemic problems require systemic change, which is rarely quick and never easy. However, local community-based food systems can provide fertile seedbeds of systemic social change.

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