Virtual Barriers: Unpacking the Sustainability Implications of Online Food Spaces and the Yellowknife Farmers Market’s Response to COVID-19

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Background Through their support of local agriculture, relationships, and healthy diets, farmers’ markets can contribute to a sustainable food system. Markets like the Yellowknife Farmers Market (YKFM) are social spaces that support local food, yet the COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to their current model. This paper explores the potential of online marketplaces to contribute to a resilient, sustainable food system and the barriers to making this transition for the YKFM. Methods In 2019, a collaborative mixed-method evaluation was initiated by the YKFM and university partners in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. The co-created evaluation plan included two patron surveys, a vendor survey and vendor interviews. The evaluation began with an in-person Rapid Market Assessment dot survey and questionnaire of market patrons from two YKFM dates prior to the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, we determined it was not a good time to conduct the vendor survey and interviews. Ongoing engagement with the market facilitated an assessment of the COVID-19 response. Results For the patron surveys, 59 dot survey and 31 questionnaire participants were recruited. The top motivators for attendance were eating dinner, atmosphere, and supporting local businesses, and most patrons attended as couples and spent over half of their time talking to others. The YKFM did not move online, citing concerns about meeting produce demand, incongruence between the online model and market strengths, low dependency on the YKFM by vendors, and potential challenges for patrons using new technology. Conclusions NWT food strategies rely on farmers’ markets to nurture a local food system. Online markets can support local food by facilitating purchases and knowledge-sharing, yet they do not replicate the open-air or social experience. Challenges to the online transition reflect the survey findings and current food context in the NWT. While online adaptation does not fit into the YKFM plan today, online markets may prove useful as a complementary strategy for future emerging stressors to enhance the resiliency of local systems.</jats:p>

The role of public administrations in promoting open municipal markets

“…Even if OMMs are no longer considered a panacea to solve all the environmental and social problems of conventional agriculture and food systems (Radcliffe et al., 2021), the postpandemic society could be another opportunity to revisit the situation. In fact, the increasing number of people living and teleworking in rural areas could help to reverse the current decline.…”

Uso Do E-Commerce Na Comercialização Dos Produtos Da Agricultura Familiar: Uma Revisão Sistemática Da Literatura/Use of E-Commerce in the Commercialization of Family Farming Products: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Por outro lado, apesar de Blazy, Causeret e Guyader (2021) defenderem que as transações de comércio virtual promoveram maior aproximação entre os produtores e o restante da população, Radcliffe et al (2021) perceberam certa resistência por parte de agricultores que compõem feiras de agricultores em aderir esta forma de comercialização, mesmo com o advento da pandemia por COVID-19, alegando que as feiras são espaços de experiências sociais. Isso também foi relatado por Kaiser et al (2020), mostrando que agricultores dos Estados Unidos argumentaram não querer transferir suas atividades para o ambiente virtual, porque precisariam realizar investimentos para atender a essa demanda, além de toda a problemática envolvendo os preços dos produtos, a confiança dos consumidores e a geração de competitividade entre os agricultores, mas que se viram obrigados a aderir à modalidade online após o advento da COVID-19.…”

“…Ainda, ressalta-se a relevância da crescente demanda por produtos com qualidades específicas, sejam eles adquiridos virtual ou presencialmente. Cadeias alternativas (a) avaliar a capacidade das cadeias alternativas em atender às demandas de possíveis consumidores (MORGAN et al, 2018); (b) avaliar a acessibilidade a cadeias alternativas online (WILLS; ARUNDEL, 2017); (c) explorar as respostas das cadeias alternativas a eventos extremos (RADCLIFFE et al, 2021); (d) medir a relevância econômica de cada cadeia alternativa em termos de valor de produção, lucro e geração de empregos (HORSKÁ et al, 2020;MUÑOZ et al, 2021). Fonte: Elaborado pelos autores (2021).…”