scholarly journals Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) as Local and Sustainable Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Jarzębowski ◽  
Michael Bourlakis ◽  
Agnieszka Bezat-Jarzębowska

We distinguish different types of Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC); nevertheless, their common main characteristic relate to reduced numbers of intermediaries between farmers/food producers and consumers. The aim of the paper is to present the SFSCs as local and sustainable food systems with their possible development. The SFSC idea follows the concept of sustainability, which is based on three pillars: environmental, social, and economic. In the paper, the authors also highlight other barriers to growth, and challenges faced by local food systems.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar Vittersø ◽  
Hanne Torjusen ◽  
Kirsi Laitala ◽  
Barbara Tocco ◽  
Beatrice Biasini ◽  
...  

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 9831
Author(s):  
Yuna Chiffoleau ◽  
Tara Dourian

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are increasingly garnering attention in food systems research, owing to their rising popularity among consumers, producers and policy-makers in the last few decades. Written with the aim to identify research gaps for the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, this literature review provides a state of play of the definition and characterisation of SFSCs, and of their sustainability. Drawing on hypotheses about SFSC sustainability elaborated in an expert network in France, this review summarises a wide range of papers from various disciplines in the SFSC literature, written in English or French, while specifically highlighting the empirical results derived from European projects. Though the literature tends to generally agree on the social benefits of SFSCs, their economic and environmental impacts typically elicit more heterogeneous outcomes, while their health/nutrition and governance dimensions remain under-explored. Based on this review, recommendations for a future research and innovation programme are outlined, addressing the contribution of SFSCs to agrifood system transition and resilience in the current context of the Covid-19 crisis and of the Green New Deal objectives.


Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Yacamán Ochoa ◽  
Alberto Matarán Ruiz ◽  
Rafael Mata Olmo ◽  
Álvaro Macías Figueroa ◽  
Adolfo Torres Rodríguez

Discussions on food security in the Global North have raised questions about the capacity of peri-urban organic agriculture to provide sufficient healthy food for the urban market. Dealing with food security requires more attention to how to protect peri-urban organic farming systems from urban pressures while strengthening the sustainability of local food systems. Given that short food supply chains (SFSCs) have been proven to be effective at reconnecting people with food production, this study focuses on identifying the barriers that hinder their development and the opportunities derived from the comparative advantage provided by their urban proximity. This study is based on documentary and empirical research addressing food supply chain characteristics in the organic sector. This study is focused on Mediterranean peri-urban agriculture, where, historically, there have been close relationships between the city and the countryside. These relationships are based on the fact that many cities are traditionally located next to areas of high agricultural activity, where a wide variety of vegetables is produced almost continuously due to the relatively mild winter climate. This study deals with two medium-sized metropolitan areas in Andalucía in the south of the Iberian Peninsula—the coastal city of Málaga, which is of a tourist-residential nature, and the inland urban agglomeration of Granada. Our research shows, when compared with other studies, that the local organic food sector seems to have great potential to find innovative solutions based on a collective approach, local embeddedness, and collective knowledge and by prioritizing horizontal and sustainable processes at the local/regional scale.


2021 ◽  
pp. 217-236
Author(s):  
Anna Kapała ◽  
Pamela Lattanzi

The study aims to identify what food information is required for the sale of food by farmers in short food supply chains (SFSCs) in EU law in accordance with Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and legislation of selected Member States (Poland, Italy and France), which are allowed to adopt national measures in some issues. A comparison with US law serves as a benchmark for drawing conclusions, in particular, whether the requirements are appropriate and proportionate for SFSCs. The Regulation takes into account these alternative sales channels, as Art. 44 only requires information on allergens when offering unpackaged food for sale to final consumers or mass caterers, or when foodstuffs are packaged in the sales room at the consumer's request or packaged for direct sale. However, Member States have adopted national measures imposing an obligation to provide, in writing, more information on food in the direct sale, such as the ingredients list, but not the nutrition declaration. The US legislature is more restrictive, as it requires not only ingredient lists but also nutritional information for nearly all packaged and unpackaged food products, except for agricultural raw materials. The multitude of obligations imposed at various legislative levels is undoubtedly a challenge for farmers involved in SFSC, who are not prepared on a par with professional food companies to implement them.


Standort ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gesine Tuitjer

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioan Sebastian Brumă ◽  
Codrin Dinu Vasiliu ◽  
Steliana Rodino ◽  
Marian Butu ◽  
Lucian Tanasă ◽  
...  

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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