How to avoid the tragedy of alternative food networks (AFNs)? The impact of social capital and transparency on AFN performance

Abstract

PurposeAlternative food networks (AFNs) have recently emerged in the food landscape as new ways of food production, distribution and consumption which are alternatives to the traditional food system. Drawing on the tragedy of the commons, this paper aims to test the role played by social capital and transparency in reducing customer's lethargy and thus enhancing AFN performance in terms of frequency and quantity of purchases made by customers.Design/methodology/approachAn ordered probit model was used to analyse data from a strong database of 2,115 Italian AFN customers. Given the novelty of the topic, the quantitative survey was anticipated by a preliminary qualitative study based on in-depth interviews, focus groups and participant observation.FindingsCustomers play an active role in AFN communities, co-creating value together with the other actors of the network. The two independent variables tested in this model, social capital and transparency, positively and significantly affect customers' quantity and frequency of purchases within AFNs, reducing the occurrence of the tragedy of commons.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this study represents one of the first attempts to measure, through a quantitative method, the effect of performance drivers (i.e. social capital and transparency) on AFN performance. Theoretical, managerial and policy implications will be thoroughly presented and discussed along the paper.

Alternative = transformative? Investigating drivers of transformation in alternative food networks in Germany

“…Due to the number of interviews, the results of this study should be seen as explorative. Thus, they cannot be generalised and mainly apply to Germany, as AFN members are influenced by the culture and values regarding food in the respective country (De Bernardi et al., 2020). Furthermore, the state of development of AFNs can differ between countries.…”

Know the Farmer That Feeds You: A Cross-Country Analysis of Spatial-Relational Proximities and the Attractiveness of Community Supported Agriculture

“…While CSA literature [19,20] highlights implications of geographical proximity, to our knowledge, only one study related Boschma's [16] broader perspective on proximity dimensions to CSAs [21]. However, in an ever-evolving body of knowledge, critical questions on various spatial-relational configurations associated with AFNs are being debated [15,[22][23][24][25]. With respect to CSAs, this includes motivations to join the CSA scheme [26][27][28][29][30], challenges CSAs face in retaining members [31][32][33][34], the institutionalization of CSA principles [35] and up-scaling processes [36,37], as well as the extent to which CSAs succeed in creating an alternative to conventional practices in the market [3].…”

“…Interrelating the latter to the different dimensions of spatial and relational proximity configurations promises new insights for better understanding the role of spatial-relational proximity for the attractiveness of CSA and other AFNs. Thus, we also hope to gain some insights into what factors should be used to promote AFNs-a knowledge gap that has been attributed to their recentness [25].…”

Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Environment, Economy, Society, and Policy

“…This focus on participation led to the emergence of different participatory approaches that do not only cover the whole food chain (from production to consumption), but also associated activities such as participatory research [290,[402][403][404][405], participatory breeding [307,406], and participatory certification [407,408]. Besides participation and inclusiveness, accountability [409,410] and transparency [301,411,412] are central in the new governance arrangements for sustainable agri-food systems.…”

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