Organising Alternative Food Networks (AFNs): Challenges and Facilitating Conditions of different AFN types in three EU countries

Ana Poças Ribeiro; Robert Harmsen; Giuseppe Feola; Jesús Rosales Carréon; Ernst Worrell

doi:10.1111/soru.12331

Organising Alternative Food Networks (AFNs): Challenges and Facilitating Conditions of different AFN types in three EU countries

Ana Poças Ribeiro^*, Robert Harmsen, Giuseppe Feola, Jesús Rosales Carréon, Ernst Worrell

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

This study aimed to explore the constraining and facilitating factors impacting the emergence and consolidation of different types of alternative food networks (AFNs) in different countries. Drawing on the expertise of organizers of seventeen AFNs, we investigated the conditions and actors that hinder and promote the development of different types of AFNs in Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands. Using a multi-actor perspective framework, we categorized six types of AFNs according to their logic and characteristics: consumer-led, producer-led, third-sector led, community supported agriculture, public-led, and business platforms. Key challenges and facilitating conditions varied according to AFN type, and depended on AFN particularities. In contrast to the Netherlands, low social capital was commonly cited as a challenge in Portugal and Poland. AFN organizers appeared to exercise innovative power when creating new forms of food provision; however, a wide scope of actions by governmental and non-governmental actors are needed to support the emergence of more AFNs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	491-517
Number of pages	27
Journal	Sociologia Ruralis
Volume	61
Issue number	2
Early online date	2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/soru.12331
Publication status	Published - Apr 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to express our gratitude towards all the organisers of AFNs who have made time to talk to us and share their experiences. You are a source of inspiration. We would also like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback which has greatly improved this paper. This work was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in the project Transitioning to Sustainable Energy Systems [22.004.023].

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors. Sociologia Ruralis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society for Rural Sociology.

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Funding

We would like to express our gratitude towards all the organisers of AFNs who have made time to talk to us and share their experiences. You are a source of inspiration. We would also like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback which has greatly improved this paper. This work was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in the project Transitioning to Sustainable Energy Systems [22.004.023].

Keywords

alternative food networks
categorization of AFNs
challenges
cross-country comparison
power
short food supply chains

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10.1111/soru.12331Licence: CC BY-NC

soru.12331Final published version, 400 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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title = "Organising Alternative Food Networks (AFNs): Challenges and Facilitating Conditions of different AFN types in three EU countries",

abstract = "This study aimed to explore the constraining and facilitating factors impacting the emergence and consolidation of different types of alternative food networks (AFNs) in different countries. Drawing on the expertise of organizers of seventeen AFNs, we investigated the conditions and actors that hinder and promote the development of different types of AFNs in Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands. Using a multi-actor perspective framework, we categorized six types of AFNs according to their logic and characteristics: consumer-led, producer-led, third-sector led, community supported agriculture, public-led, and business platforms. Key challenges and facilitating conditions varied according to AFN type, and depended on AFN particularities. In contrast to the Netherlands, low social capital was commonly cited as a challenge in Portugal and Poland. AFN organizers appeared to exercise innovative power when creating new forms of food provision; however, a wide scope of actions by governmental and non-governmental actors are needed to support the emergence of more AFNs.",

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Organising Alternative Food Networks (AFNs): Challenges and Facilitating Conditions of different AFN types in three EU countries

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Keywords

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