Possible Food Economies: a Methodological Framework for Exploring Food Production–Consumption Relationships

Abstract

Modes of food production-consumption defined as 'alternative' have received considerable academic attention, with studies exploring both their potential for contributing to rural development strategies and the opportunities they provide for countering established power relations in food supply systems. However, the use of the term 'alternative' as part of a persistent dualism in which it is opposed to the 'conventional' is problematic as it loses sight of the specificity of different examples food production-consumption. Based on extensive field research with a series of very different food projects, this article develops a methodological framework which structures a description of how specific examples of food production-consumption are organised with reference to a series of analytical fields. This framework retains a sense of the diversity and particularity of particular cases of production-consumption, and directs attention to the particular locations of resistance to prevalent power relations in food systems that are made possible through different food projects.

Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture

“…AFN participants report about their appreciation for food and its origins. As examined in other studies, the appreciation for food and certain food qualities is one central element of social identity in AFNs (Jarosz, 2008;Renting et al, 2003;Wiskerke, 2009). Therewith, appreciation for food and its origin is a precondition for consumers to participate in an AFN, as confirmed by the interviewees in our study.…”

“…(see Forssell and Lankoski, 2015;Jarosz, 2008;Marsden et al, 2008;Sonnino and Marsden, 2006;Tregear, 2011;Venn et al, 2006;Wiskerke, 2009). …”

“…Rather lacking are approaches using the content of stakeholders' interactions to characterise AFNs. Only Holloway et al (2007), who developed a methodological framework for exploring food production-consumption relationships, use content-related aspects to describe some of their categories.…”

“…Besides proximity, shared values are another determinant for explaining consumer-producer relations. In general, stakeholders in a network are committed to social, environmental or economic standards in agriculture (Jarosz, 2008) and share an understanding of food quality (Wiskerke, 2009). …”

Understanding the organization of sharing economy in agri-food systems: evidence from alternative food networks in Valencia

“…So far only few studies focused on the internal organization of AFNs (Murtagh 2010;Albrecht et al 2016), while mostly focusing on external linkages of AFNs with implications for society and regional development (Holloway et al 2007;Tregear 2011;Veen et al 2012). The strong or even exclusive presence of communitarian elements 1 3 in some AFNs show similarities with SPGs and AMAP initiatives in other contexts (Dubuisson-Quellier et al 2011;Pascucci et al 2013Pascucci et al , 2016, and explain their organization based on their origin and/or relatively small number of members.…”