Virtual barriers: unpacking the sustainability implications of online food spaces and the Yellowknife Farmers Market’s response to COVID-19

Radcliffe, Josalyn; Skinner, Kelly; Spring, Andrew; Picard, Lise; Benoit, France; Dodd, Warren

doi:10.1186/s12937-021-00664-x

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Initial studies and reports on how the pandemic impacted food systems suggest that numerous coping strategies at the local scale helped to address some of the most pressing issues. For example, online markets were used in Ohio, United States and in the Canadian North to ensure the continuation of local food sales ( Radcliffe et al, 2021 ; Raison and Jones, 2020 ). Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a popular management system in local food systems built on direct marketing relationships between food consumers and producers, has seen a surge in demand over the pandemic ( Westervelt, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse adaptation strategies helped local food producers cope with initial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic: Lessons from Québec, Canada

Schreiber

Soubry

Dove-McFalls

et al. 2022

Journal of Rural Studies

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The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of food systems to disturbances. Advocates have promoted short food supply chains as more resilient and adaptable thanks to their embeddedness in local economic and ecological networks. As part of a broader case study on challenges facing farmers in local food supply chains in Québec, Canada, we asked farmers about the pandemic's impacts on food production and marketing in the province, including how food producers coped with these challenges. We sent an online questionnaire to 1046 farmers who distribute food through direct marketing in Québec, identified through consumer-facing online platforms. We conducted follow-up interviews with 15 of the 133 farmers that completed the questionnaire to gain a better understanding of their pandemic-related challenges and opportunities, as well as their adaptation needs and strategies. We identified four main types of challenges among farmers: workforce, food demand and supply, changes in sales outlets and marketing channels, and other operational and development issues. In turn, six key adaptation strategies helped farmers reorganize their marketing and sales, which we categorize as: redistribution, streamlining, replacement, collaboration, farm adjustment, and outlet adjustment. Most surveyed local farmers felt well-prepared to adapt to four major challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic forged or escalated, and our findings suggest that they demonstrated remarkable resilience to additional challenges posed by the pandemic. Our study therefore contributes important insights about how flexibility and redundancy among local farmers stabilized the local food system during the onset of a global pandemic. (244 words).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse adaptation strategies helped local food producers cope with initial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic: Lessons from Québec, Canada

Schreiber

Soubry

Dove-McFalls

et al. 2022

Journal of Rural Studies

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“…In other words, consumers with sustainable consumption behavior tend to have a deeper holistic outlook and concern about moderation in consumption (Phang et al, 2021). Radcliffe et al (2021) pointed out that the sustainability of face-to-face food systems and markets has been widely discussed and criticized in the literature, especially from the point of view of resilience. These authors highlighted the potential of bringing these spaces online to contribute to sustainability in the face of system shocks such as during the covid-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Sustainability Of Consumption and Current Business Models (T...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, small businesses must build trust with their consumers to foster long-term, mutually beneficial relationships; they can achieve this by posting relevant information on their social networks to generate a feeling of identification among their followers (Ha et al, 2021). In that sense, online communities can be considered helpful for building a community around shared ethics and beliefs that can support the greater use of sustainable consumption practices (Radcliffe et al, 2021).…”

Section: Sustainability Of Consumption and Current Business Models (T...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the evolution of online markets can make it possible for customers to connect with local suppliers, fostering the creation of a community around ethical and responsible consumption. In this sense, online markets can help efficiently connect customers and suppliers to reduce physical contact and interactions in public spaces, potentially fostering a real community based on caring, shared interest, and consumption ethics (Radcliffe et al, 2021).…”

Section: Sustainability Of Consumption and Current Business Models (T...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analyzing Academic Discourse Evolution on Consumer Behavior and COVID-19 Using Topic Modeling

López

Gutiérrez-Leefmans²

2022

Innovar

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The covid-19 pandemic brought changes in consumers’ habits derived from initial confinement in the first year and a second year characterized by an attempt to return to activities under the “new normal” label. Several literature reviews that summarize existing research on consumer behavior and the pandemic have recently emerged. Many of them have a regional or country-specific focus. Others emphasize certain factors under study at the beginning of the pandemic. This study, in contrast, separates the most salient topics found in literature in 2020 from those found in 2021 using a global Scopus database showing the evolution of the academic discourse on consumer behavior as the pandemic developed. Interestingly, some differences show consumers’ evolution throughout the pandemic, seen through the eyes of researchers. Topic modeling highlights the main topics under study in both years. Results show the relevance of four major topics that differ from one year to another. Research on online consumption, however, remains equally important in both years. We propose a theoretical model of consumer behavior research that aims to help consumers understand themselves, managers address strategies accordingly, and policymakers regulate the major issues brought by the pandemic.

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“…Currently, commercial agriculture in the NWT includes eggs, greenhouse vegetables, potatoes, and market gardens (GNWT, 2017). Farmers markets in several communities support small-scale commercial agriculture and are relied upon to nurture future industry growth yet face obstacles in meeting local demand (Radcliffe et al, 2021). Value-added activities are limited by the shortage of local produce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Northern Food Systems in Transition: The Role of the Emerging Agri-Food Industry in the Northwest Territories (Canada) Food System

Lemay¹,

Radcliffe²,

Bysouth³

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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This paper reports the findings of an ethnographic study that involved working with local organizations, food advocates, and communities to develop strategies for expanding the nascent Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada agri-food industry. The NWT represents a unique case study in that the fledging agri-food industry has been recognized for its promise in contributing to the core goals of the transitioning NWT food system. The study is guided by two research questions: (1) How is the promise of the emerging NWT agri-food industry framed within the context of the broader food system? (2) Given this framing of the NWT agri-food industry, how can it contribute to the sustainability of the NWT food system and to the goals of food security, poverty reduction, nutrition, and economic development? Grounded in a food systems approach, we used a correlative, evolutionary SWOT analysis to profile the nascent NWT agri-food industry within the context of the existing NWT food system. Through further thematic analysis, we identify and describe two dominant narratives (agri-food industry business case narrative and agri-food industry implications narrative) and key themes within the narratives based on an adapted food systems framework. The agri-food business case narrative highlights discourse articulating the business or commercial viability for a local agri-food value chain to function, evolve, and expand. The agri-food industry implications narrative envisions the ways in which the emerging NWT agri-food industry may interact within the existing NWT food system, highlighting potential environmental, social, cultural, and political implications of an expanding commercial-based agri-food value chain. Within the two narratives, certain subcomponents of the NWT agri-food system appear to be more prevalent, including climate, soil, and ecosystems, policy/regulations/governance, socio-cultural norms, knowledge, inputs, finance, production, and consumption. We make policy and practice recommendations for co-designing an agri-food industry that serves the multiple goals of the NWT food system. As an exploratory, descriptive-structural analysis the study provides a critical empirical basis for future in-depth, fully integrated synthesis of the complex social, cultural, economic, political, and ecological dynamics shaping Northern food systems in transition.

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Virtual barriers: unpacking the sustainability implications of online food spaces and the Yellowknife Farmers Market’s response to COVID-19

Cited by 11 publications

References 21 publications

Diverse adaptation strategies helped local food producers cope with initial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic: Lessons from Québec, Canada

Diverse adaptation strategies helped local food producers cope with initial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic: Lessons from Québec, Canada

Analyzing Academic Discourse Evolution on Consumer Behavior and COVID-19 Using Topic Modeling

Northern Food Systems in Transition: The Role of the Emerging Agri-Food Industry in the Northwest Territories (Canada) Food System

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