Sustainability of Local and Global Food Chains: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

Sustainability assessment is one of the keys to competition by food supply chains over sustainability. The way it is conceived and embodied into decision-makers' choices affects the competitiveness of local and global chains. Science-based assessment methodologies have made substantial progress, but uncertainties-as well as interests at stake-are high. There are no science-based methods that are able to give an unchallenged verdict over the sustainability performance of a firm, let alone a supply chain. Assessment methods are more suited for medium-large firm dimensions, as planning, monitoring, and reporting are costly. Moreover, the availability of data affects the choice of parameters to be measured, and many claims of local food are not easily measurable. To give local chains a chance to operate on a level playing field, there is the need to re-think sustainability assessment processes and tailor them to the characteristics of the analysed supply chains. We indicate seven key points on which we think scholars should focus their attention when dealing with food supply chain sustainability assessment.Keywords: sustainability assessment; local; global; food chains Sustainability as a New Terrain of CompetitionAccording to neoclassical economic theory, market transactions are impersonal: all a buyer needs is knowledge of the price for a given commodity. In this ideal world, when the consumer makes a choice, she may only consider her expected utility. Many market policies tend to orientate to this ideal state; for example, by reducing tariff barriers, simplifying labelling rules, harmonizing common technical standards or sanitary rules, or reducing controls at borders. To guarantee the functioning of markets, public authorities set procedures, establish information and control systems, distribute roles and responsibilities among actors, and identify authorities to ensure that commodities are safe and compliant with a minimum set of quality rules. All these efforts should, in theory, make the food system a "black box" for consumers-an object whose internal mechanisms do not need to be known as long as it works effectively. Recurrent food scandals show that these efforts are not sufficient: free circulation of commodities on a global scale makes the system vulnerable to unforeseen and unintended disease outbreaks and fraudulent behaviour.Concerns and anxieties are amplified by a lack of information and transparency. As lack of information turns into lack of trust [1], consumers increasingly aim at "looking into the black box", and increasingly shape their food choices according to new claims and aspirations of how sustainable food systems should perform.In reaction to these concerns, information becomes a key component of the product and an object of competition: big players have invested in technologies, measurement tools, certification schemes, and social reporting to develop value-based coalitions with consumers and improve their sustainability performance.

Local food supply chain resilience to constitutional change: the Brexit effect

“…Some of this interest comes in the light of global food security concerns, calls for enhanced traceability, increases in food poverty, and political and environmental disruptions to global supply chains (see for example Maggio et al 2016). The advantages of local food systems include: fairer prices for farmers, fresh, local and seasonal produce for consumers, a reduced environmental impact, greater traceability and benefits for the local economy as well as community (Augère-Granier, 2016; Brunori et al, 2016). For example, local food systems create jobs in agriculture and food production, but they can also encourage tourism, bringing economic benefits to the region (Oglethorpe & Heron, 2013, Czinkota et al, 2014.…”

Locavorismo: uma análise de suas contradições à luz de experiências de agricultura urbana em São Paulo

“…Nesse sentido, o termo "local" sofreu uma apropriação com a finalidade de tornar o consumo de certos itens mais apelativos, em uma prática que alguns autores chamam de "local washing" (Brunori;Galli, 2016;Fitzgerald, 2016).…”

Measuring Progress in Sustainable Food Cities: An Indicators Toolbox for Action

“…Participatory processes can contribute to overcome data gaps, bridge different types of knowledge or resolve conflicts over values. However, putting in practice the principles of sustainable assessment is highly complex, since many sustainability attributes are not (yet) measurable and "hard" methodologies need to be complemented by "soft" methodologies to identify critical issues and trade-offs across different types of stakeholders [56][57][58]. To this effect, there is a recent change in indicator-related exercises, from the study of expost evaluation of cities' problems to focus on the exante stage where indicators can be operationalized as planning tools and become instruments of policy [6].…”