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Public procurement can help drive a transition to a more sustainable food system based on local agroecological production. In countries with large public education systems, school and university canteen services can play a significant role by virtue of their enormous centralized purchasing power. In this study, we investigate the potential and feasibility of implementing an enduring transformation to a sustainable food procurement model in public higher education institutions based on agroecological principles for the case of Spain. To address our research questions, we employed participatory workshops and a questionnaire survey (1,058 respondents) to analyze perceptions and priorities around sustainable food practices on campus of the university community across three Spanish public universities. Workshop participants proposed and prioritized interventions aimed at improving the sustainability of oncampus food services. Some recommendations for action for policy makers are detailed in the Discussion section, as key actors in this process. Pathways toward a future transition to more sustainable practices included the importance of food services to the university community, the high level of understanding of food system impacts and demand for change from consumers on university campuses, the universities’ commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the potential of university networks as a powerful agent of social change and social innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the potential of local agroecological transitions to sustainability in Spain and their interaction with Biosphere Reserve (BR) designation. The BR program has experienced great success in Spain however questions linger regarding their contribution to agricultural sustainability. Here, we evaluate the performance of two selected local agroecological initiatives through a Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) approach focusing, specifically, on their potential contribution to community resilience. To do so, we collected survey data from participants in one local agroecological initiative in the non-BR designated "La Vera" area and in the "Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo" BR. We found that participants valued positively the achievements of both initiatives but identified two important obstacles for CHANS community resilience: 1) lack of economic competitiveness of the products and services offered due to the higher prices of agroecological products when compared with conventionally produced market-oriented competitors and, 2) governance obstacles related to subsidy dependence and excessive governmental regulations of local community management practices and decision-making. Though there were no statistically significant differences between BR and non-BR survey data, non-BR respondents did identify more governance issues than BR respondents suggesting that BR designation may empower local communities institutionally providing them with more decision-making leverage in their interactions with the administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European PAC (Política Agrícola Comum - Common Agricultural Policy) and Agribusiness at Polo Juazeiro / Petrolina are contradictory and antagonistic models of agriculture, but with a broad relationship between them, since, while encouraging business agriculture, they point out, in their speeches, that the high production is based on wiping out hunger and improve the quality of life. Thus, the present study has taken in Spain - Santiago de Compostela and Polo Juazeiro / Petrolina because it understands that it is only possible to recognize the place within the global, that is, in the totality of relationships. In this sense, this study aims to understand how the European Common Agricultural Policy goes against Regulation 834/2007 regarding organic production, encouraging an increase in production and productivity through the use of pesticides both in the domestic market and, especially, in the external market, as is the case of Polo Juazeiro / Petrolina and Santiago de Compostela ES. As a methodological path, a biographical survey was used about the theme; documentary research and fieldwork. As a result, it is illustrated that the concreteness of agriculture aimed at the external market in other countries, allowed the insertion in the global economy through the intervention of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, guided by the free trade policy, which is characterized for shaping agricultural production according to the requirements of the companies that control the world food market. Thus, it can be concluded that fast production to serve the market, increasingly distances itself from organic or agroecological production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agri-food system needs to transition into a more balanced system that takes into account economic, social, and environmental factors. Young people are a key demographic group to consider as they are open to new trends of consumption, including sustainable buying practices. Public universities can play a significant role in promoting sustainable and healthy eating habits among students. In this paper, we focus on the perceptions of young people regarding sustainable food in the Madrid Region. We conducted a survey using a questionnaire-based approach among 1940 students in 2022. The results highlight that young consumers are highly concerned about food sustainability. They perceive sustainability as local and non-processed foods. However, this perception varies among young consumers, and we identified five different consumer profiles. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis provide insights into potential actions that universities can take to promote sustainable and healthy eating habits among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the determinants of resilience in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and strategies for CSA expansion, including the role of public policies, providing a genuine international comparison of inputs from CSA coordinators in Brazil and Spain. The results indicate that CSA projects with an engaged small consumer core group that supports the producer have additional tools to build resilience. Synergies with other like-minded social, educational, or environmental projects offer significant expansion opportunities. Distrust of CSA actors in public policies limits their ability to support the CSA movement, but indirect policy adjustments could have a favorable effects on CSA expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green Public Food Procurement (GPFP) has revealed itself to be an ally for achieving ecological transition objectives, however there is little work attempting to assess its contribution. This work proposes a set of sustainability and health indicators that comprise a tool able to evaluate the performance of GPFP. A Delphi analysis and a participatory process is used to determine Key Performance Indicators that have been tested through two case studies in Spain. The results obtained show that the presence of short marketing circuits and food sovereignty and institutions rooted in the territory contribute to improved economic sustainability and good performance in terms of health. However, for environmental issues the performance is somewhat lacking, as instruments such as renewable energies and the circular economy are not implemented on a local scale. Elements linked to territorial cohesion and social capital are key for the principles of social and labor justice, as well as governance, to prevail. The Mediterranean diet integral to the case studies presented results in adequate health indicators. These types of indicators would be a useful tool for introducing sustainable food certification as a driving force for changing the food model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olive is a key crop in the Mediterranean basin, socially, economically, and environmentally, being a major source of rural employment. Organic products such as olive oil have attracted many types of consumers in recent years. In this context, the Mediterranean basin represents 5 Mha of the 10 Mha of olive farming worldwide, with Spain being the leading producer. Also, during the recent decades, olive farmers met the challenges of sustainability by implementing principles of agroecological production. Therefore, the focal point is no longer exclusively on yields but also on the quality, health, and environmental aspects of products and systems. In this work, we review and analyse the global situation of organic farming, focusing on the development, current status, perspectives, and opportunities of organic olive farming in Andalusia (S Spain). In addition, we assess the environmental benefits and consequences of the shift from conventional to organic management of olive orchards, focusing on the improvement of soil quality and biodiversity. Also, the general factors affecting the decision making for acquiring organic olive oil are discussed. Our main findings show the following: (1) It is necessary to encourage educational and research programmes to promote the demand for these products, positively affecting consumer health, protecting the environment, and improving rural economies. (2) The future of organic agriculture will depend on its economic viability and on the determination shown by governments to protect these practices. (3) Further support for funding research is needed to continue studying the effect of olive cultivation on soil biological quality, changes in soil properties, and biodiversity. More importantly, these beneficial extra outputs produced for society must be interiorised in economic value to compensate organic oil producers. (4) Finally, a clear understanding of attitudes and preferences, as well as the motivations of consumer when making the choice for organic olive products, is essential in responding to this specific demand. However, as stated above, major institutional and educational actions are also needed in order to boost sustainable organic olive farming and thus the preference for organic olive oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The crisis in which capitalist societies have been immersed in recent years has led certain critical sectors to rethinking of the basic pillars of the system itself in general, and the traditional economic models in particular. The Postgrowth Approach questions many of the foundations on which the current growth and the unlimited consumption society is based. In this paper we propose a degrowth review from an ecofeminist perspective, and we try to analyze to what extend it can be an opportunity to rethink the crisis and to propose outputs with equality and ecological viability criteria. In the Spanish context, in which the financial crisis has mainly resulted in significant cut of rights and, ultimately, in a deep social and environmental crisis (energy, food, care and social reproduction, etc.), this question becomes even more relevant. Therefore, we intend to delve into theoretical discussions and the proposed practical in the Spanish State, pointing out some of the achievements and, also, most relevant limitations from this ecofeminist perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serious problems of agrarian unsustainability cannot be solved through technological changes that lessen environmental impacts. Although technological change is important, it is also necessary to change the agri-food system as a whole. Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodological approach to collaborate with local communities. It enables us to advance in the restructuring of physical flows, economies, and information that support local farming, as a means to achieve greater autonomy and self-management. This article presents several case studies in Spain in which PAR has been applied to build local organic food networks. These are characterized by a more sustainable use of local resources and the development of short food supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need to implement agricultural systems that provide greater sustainability and resilience to the challenges of the climate change process has meant that alternative paradigms for agri-food systems and agriculture have become more relevant in recent times. In this study, we present the building process and consolidation of an agro-ecological project (Extiercol) in a rural area of southern Spain, with a prolonged depopulation process and close connections to nearby urban areas. Through participatory action research, the specific objectives of this study are (1) to describe the agroecological collective process from its creation by a youth association to its establishment as a viable agricultural project; (2) to identify the drivers for the development of this type of transition process towards agricultural sustainability and (3) to analyse urban-rural alliances in the establishment of agroecological projects. Finally, the replicability of this project was assessed, with a special focus on the main barriers to be addressed in order to implement this agricultural system such as difficult to land access or a negative perception of sustainable management by farmers. Through this study we have shown how the connection between the food production area and nearby urban areas can be achieved through an agroecological project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]