Alternative Food Networks: An Interdisciplinary Assessment

Description

In recent years, Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) have been a key issue both in the scientific community and in public debates. This is due to their profound implications for rural development, local sustainability, and bio-economics. This edited collection discusses what the main determinants of the participation of operators – both consumers and producers – in AFNs are, what the conditions for their sustainability are, what their social and environmental effects are, and how they are distributed geographically. Further discussions include the effect of AFNs in structuring the food chain and how AFNs can be successfully scaled up. The authors explicitly take an interdisciplinary approach to analyse AFNs from different perspectives, using as an example the Italian region of Piedmont, a particularly interesting case study due to the diffusion of AFNs in the area, as well as due to the fact that it was in this region that the ‘Slow Food’ movement originated. Front Matter ....Pages i-xviii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Introduction (Alessandro Corsi, Filippo Barbera, Egidio Dansero, Cristiana Peano)....Pages 3-8 Multidisciplinary Approaches to Alternative Food Networks (Alessandro Corsi, Filippo Barbera, Egidio Dansero, Giovanni Orlando, Cristiana Peano)....Pages 9-46 Front Matter ....Pages 47-47 Introduction to Part II: AFNs from the Consumer’s Viewpoint (Filippo Barbera, Alessandro Corsi, Cristiana Peano)....Pages 49-55 Determinants of Participation in AFNs and Its Value for Consumers (Alessandro Corsi, Silvia Novelli)....Pages 57-86 Consumers’ Quality Conventions in Alternative, Conventional, and High-End Food Chains (Filippo Barbera, Joselle Dagnes, Roberto Di Monaco)....Pages 87-117 The Environmental Quality Factors Sought by Consumers in Alternative and Conventional Market Channels (Nadia Tecco, Cristiana Peano)....Pages 119-136 Understanding Alternative Food Networks After the Crisis: Testing Four Scenarios in Italy (Giovanni Orlando)....Pages 137-162 Front Matter ....Pages 163-163 Introduction to Part III: AFNs from the Producers’ Viewpoint (Alessandro Corsi, Filippo Barbera, Silvia Novelli)....Pages 165-172 Determinants of Farmers’ Participation in AFNs (Alessandro Corsi, Silvia Novelli, Giacomo Pettenati)....Pages 173-196 The Economic Viability of Solidarity Purchase Groups (Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale) (Silvia Novelli, Alessandro Corsi)....Pages 197-213 Quality and Price Setting by Producers in AFNs (Filippo Barbera, Joselle Dagnes, Roberto Di Monaco)....Pages 215-243 Front Matter ....Pages 245-245 Introduction to Part IV: Environment, Territory, and AFNs (Alessandro Corsi, Egidio Dansero, Cristiana Peano)....Pages 247-250 Applied Environmental Sustainability of Fruit and Vegetables in Different Distribution Channels (AFNs and Large-Scale Retail) (Cristiana Peano, Nadia Tecco, Vincenzo Girgenti)....Pages 251-272 Reterritorialization, Proximity, and Urban Food Planning: Research Perspectives on AFNs (Egidio Dansero, Giacomo Pettenati)....Pages 273-301 Front Matter ....Pages 303-303 Conclusions: An Interdisciplinary Assessment (Alessandro Corsi, Filippo Barbera, Egidio Dansero, Cristiana Peano)....Pages 305-321 Back Matter ....Pages 323-325