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There is growing interest in assessing local food systems to guide efforts toward sustainability and aligning these assessments with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the complexity of portraying local food systems poses numerous challenges for local communities, and automated text analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) offer promising solutions. This study tested the use of an automated textual analysis to assess the alignment of the Mauricie region's food system in Quebec, Canada, with the SDGs. The analysis examined 35 organizational documents from the region using an automated text analysis based on a list of keywords for each SDG. Initially, the analysis revealed that several initiatives in the Mauricie region covered specific SDGs quite well, such as eliminating hunger (SDG 2). Areas such as health and well-being (SDG 3) received moderate attention, while SDGs such as life below water and on land (SDGs 14 and 15) were less emphasized. When these results were presented to regional stakeholders, these stakeholders reported that the findings did not closely reflect their perceptions of the food system. This study confirms the potential of automated textual analysis and AI in assessing local food systems and underscores the parameters and challenges of accurately portraying sustainability in local food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farming plays a pivotal role in the recent initiative to develop a sustainable economy in the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan). Key national policy documents support a green agricultural development path and highlight the potential of organic agricultural production and exports. This study therefore elicited perspectives on organic farming from organic farmers and stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan, focusing on the role of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in its promotion. Interviews held with these two groups revealed that, whereas organic farmers are primarily motivated by personal and family health concerns despite unfair market prices and insufficient governmental support, stakeholders prioritize environmental protection and view the inclusion of PGS in national legislation as a milestone in organic certification. Also, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has influenced farmers' motivation for organic conversion owing to increased health concerns and food safety. The study's findings highlight the potential of PGS to foster cooperation within local communities and familiarize farmers with organic principles and methods. PGS can be used as a framework to strengthen social and economic links within local farming communities and preserve traditional local knowledge and farming practices that are crucial for climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture. Moreover, PGS may be applied in business as a model for establishing collaboration with other sectors at both domestic and international levels. The findings underscore the significance of PGS in the sustainable development of organic farming in Kyrgyzstan. However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and knowledge need to be addressed through the government's increased involvement and through cooperation among actors within the organic sector. Overall, the PGS approach may be used by policymakers as a relevant and feasible tool for introducing organic principles within agricultural policies and disseminating organic practices across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems, such as their contribution to climate change, there is an urgent need to reduce their impact. International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures. Nevertheless, critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues. Yet, at the sub-national level, local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans. This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning. The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots, their origins, and formulate effective mitigation strategies. The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere, a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France. Multiple environmental criteria including climate change, fossil resource scarcity, toxicity, and land use are modeled. The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources, such as livestock feed or diesel consumption. Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies, resulting in a 25% decrease in the climate change indicator. However, the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator. These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level, offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment. Additionally, they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Traditionally, food system governance has been executed at provincial, national, or supranational levels, but recently, there has been an increasing trend of local areas coordinating initiatives to influence their own food systems. They are distinguished by their focus on the principles of food democracy, especially in terms of citizen participation. Although initiatives to boost citizen collaboration in local food systems are on the rise, achieving active citizen involvement can prove challenging. This study aims to understand citizen engagement and participation in local food systems at the regional, municipal, or neighborhood levels. A narrative literature review was performed, covering academic and gray literature and using descriptive statistics and semi-inductive thematic analysis. The analysis identified five categories of local food system citizen participation programs, i.e., governance committees that include citizens, citizen working groups, participatory research, participatory workshops, and citizen forums and assemblies. The review highlighted factors that influence the operation and perceived success of citizen participation initiatives. Findings underscore the importance of creating citizen participation mechanisms that are inclusive, transparent, and adaptable. Proper organization and facilitation by a dedicated local organization ensure the success of citizen engagement initiatives. The identified categories and factors can guide policymakers in designing effective local food system initiatives that enhance meaningful citizen involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reterritorialisation of agricultural activities (RAA) consists of reinforcing local food production and its diversification activities oriented toward local consumers. RAA helps shape the local food system, which is an increasingly studied topic in the planning field. However, institutional impacts on planning approaches for RAA remain unknown. This study examines this question by comparing land-use and food planning in Dutch and French cases, where France defines food planning via national law and the Netherlands does not. Through analysis of planning documents and semi-structured interviews, we identified planning goals and instruments, and analysed governance models. We then linked these three components to understand institutional impacts. Our empirical findings reveal that regarding planning policies on RAA, there are differences between the two countries in terms of focused action fields, planning instruments, and links between land-use and food planning. Our results show that the dominance of state-local relationships in France and civil society-government relationships in the Netherlands has a significant effect on planning approaches. This study supports the need for an emphasis on institutional design for effective planning for RAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farming plays a pivotal role in the recent initiative to develop a sustainable economy in the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan). Key national policy documents support a green agricultural development path and highlight the potential of organic agricultural production and exports. This study therefore elicited perspectives on organic farming from organic farmers and stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan, focusing on the role of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in its promotion. Interviews held with these two groups revealed that, whereas organic farmers are primarily motivated by personal and family health concerns despite unfair market prices and insufficient governmental support, stakeholders prioritize environmental protection and view the inclusion of PGS in national legislation as a milestone in organic certification. Also, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has influenced farmers’ motivation for organic conversion owing to increased health concerns and food safety. The study’s findings highlight the potential of PGS to foster cooperation within local communities and familiarize farmers with organic principles and methods. PGS can be used as a framework to strengthen social and economic links within local farming communities and preserve traditional local knowledge and farming practices that are crucial for climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture. Moreover, PGS may be applied in business as a model for establishing collaboration with other sectors at both domestic and international levels. The findings underscore the significance of PGS in the sustainable development of organic farming in Kyrgyzstan. However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and knowledge need to be addressed through the government’s increased involvement and through cooperation among actors within the organic sector. Overall, the PGS approach may be used by policymakers as a relevant and feasible tool for introducing organic principles within agricultural policies and disseminating organic practices across the country.

This article explores a new government policy in Quebec, the Plan de développement d’une communauté nourricière (plan for developing food self-reliant communities), and its possibilities as a niche for socio-territorial innovation. Beyond the issue of food, the policy creates an opportunity to bring together sectors and actors within local communities and local territories that have been distanced or completely disconnected from each other in the ascending trajectory of capitalism, which has led to the devitalisation of local communities. We examine the application of the policy by Saint-Camille, a rural municipality in Quebec where many experiments and social innovations in rural development have been carried out, and explore the new policy’s potential as well as certain limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 70 years, Canadian agriculture has shifted from many small farms that supplied local residents, to fewer large farms designed to maximize production, reduce cost, and target international markets. At present, small local food chains exist as a small fraction of the Canadian food system. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of local producers was valued by Canadians. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the role that local producers played in maintaining food system resilience during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were particularly interested in identifying adaptation strategies and factors that contributed to (enabled) or worked against (constrained) increasing local food system resilience (i.e. the perseverance of farms and farm production). We also examined the accessibility and sufficiency of current agriculture supports. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Antigonish Farmers’ Market (AFM) producers. Challenges identified include system bottlenecks, increased costs, increased demand, changes in sales, and the need for online literacy. In response to these challenges, AFM producers demonstrated a high degree of adaptability. Half of the study participants accessed agriculture-support related to COVID-19. Other participants expressed discontent with the suitability and accessibility of current support programs available. Opportunities to increase local food system resilience include increasing local support, promoting AFM collaboration, and tailoring agriculture support for small, diversified, local farmers.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is regarded as a model that can show directions for more sustainable food systems. Therefore, the progressing knowledge regarding challenges and ways to cope with these is crucial to sustaining this model. A literature study was conducted from October 2021 to June 2022 to explore these challenges. We found the challenges experienced by farmers are (1) the expense of conversion to and maintenance of more sustainable farming practices, (2) the danger of farmers taking on more than they can handle, (3) complexities in farm management, and (4) labor shortage and limited skills. The challenges for CSA members include (1) time for the working share contribution, (2) the expense of joining a CSA, and (3) changing their food consumption habits according to the CSA harvest. The organizational challenges for a CSA are (1) members recruitment and retention, (2) competition among CSAs and other marketing channels, (3) gender and generational problems, (4) the influence of government intervention, and (5) CSA sustainability. The four potential solutions are (1) Strengthening membership support of CSAs, (2) Improvement of CSA management, (3) Increasing external resources available to CSAs, and (4) Changing laws to support the development and spread of CSAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of local foods is increasing among the masses, especially tourists, and this has led to the inception of 'locavorism' where the consumers – termed locavores – look for sustainable local foods. We gauge tourists' ideology of locavorism through the lens of agritourism in India as we found it crucial to highlight and enhance local foods as an addition to the tourists' palate. A pre- and post-survey was conducted using repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to empirically assess 8 Agritourism farms' tourists' behaviour towards locavorism. Data was collected among tourists by using a self-report questionnaire during two phases (check-in and check-out; n = 344). Findings underscore that tourists' intention to buy local food increases considerably after experiencing Agritourism. This study is the first of its kind to understand the perception of tourists towards India's ethnic cuisine, its role in augmenting tourist experience, and in figuring out better ways to sustain local foods. The impact that Agritourism has on tourists' behaviour towards locavorism and its continuing effects on the local economy needs to be studied by researchers. Future research can extend the concept of locavorism to service providers by understanding their perception of producing and marketing sustainable local foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article based on the example of Lithuanian pilot areas (districts) aims to supplement the knowledge about the role and functions of stakeholders in the development of local food systems (hereinafter LFS). An analysis of the scientific literature has revealed a clear role of stakeholders in different countries, but this approach and experience are unique in each country. The results of the case study of Lithuania showed that an analysis of pilot areas and a questionnaire survey at the municipal level identified 14 institutions that could make a significant contribution to the organization of LFS. However, horizontal links between LFS stakeholders are relatively weak, functions and roles are not clearly defined in the pilot areas. Research methods used in the article: analysis and synthesis of scientific literature, document analysis, case study, questionnaire survey, logical abstraction, comparison method. The insights and results of this article contributed to a deeper understanding of LFS as a phenomenon in Lithuania, and from a practical point of view, other districts of Lithuania could discover, self-assess and adapt their LFS organization principles, identify stakeholders and their functions.

Alternative Food Networks (AFN) is a concept that has emerged in opposition to conventional food systems and the global food regime. AFN are localized food networks that connect actors from food producers to consumers creating a pathway that strengthens ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Much of the literature on AFN focuses on geographies and food systems in the Global North, often recommending schemes such as farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, organic certification, and fair trade. However, these strategies are not always appropriate for food systems in the Global South. In Colombia, small producers have maintained a parallel traditional food system, despite the growing pressure and investments to transition to a conventional food system. This research analyses the local food system of Cauca addressing the following questions: 1) what are the dynamics of the local food system in the Andean region of Cauca and 2) how can the local food system in the Andean region of Cauca be conceptualized as an alternative food network in the context of the Global South? To answer these questions, transdisciplinary research was carried out using SWOT analysis during multiple stakeholder workshops, followed by a reflexive thematic analysis of the results. The results show coexistence of both traditional and conventional food system dynamics, with participants assigning greater value to traditional food systems and agroecological production (akin to AFN literature), yet the economic insecurity and socio-political unrest that underlies daily life prohibits a more robust transition from conventional food system. It is argued that the understanding of AFN should be expanded to incorporate socio-cultural context as well as the dynamics of AFN in the Global South.

In the field of vegetable farming, it has become a common approach for farmers to advance into the secondary and tertiary industries to increase their income, an initiative known as the sixth industrialization. Under these circumstances, a growing trend is to outsource a part of the sixth industrialization activities in order to improve consumer satisfaction, strengthen market competitiveness, and avoid investment risks. However, owing to a mismatch between farmers and processors, there are few cases that result in collaboration. Under such circumstances, a new distribution channel called local distribution systems have been born, and its importance is increasing in Japan. This paper demonstrates how a local distribution system for farmers living in rural areas could address this distortion. The concept of local distribution systems has been used since the 1990s, and yet, its significance and importance are still increasing in relevancy in today's Japanese agriculture. In this study, the subject is an intermediary (Company A) that originated from farmers, so it was able to understand the behavioral principles of farmers and to identify businesses that could not be covered by the management resources of farmers themselves. Through the entrustment of the business, company A could support the production and sales activities of the farmers. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the company does not directly involve members in the decision-making of sales methods but instead provides a number of options for decision-making, and (2) the needs on the production side will match those on the consumer side and play the role of communication. By building such a collaboration system, the company succeeded in establishing a local distribution system. In the distribution of vegetables, which is characterized as perishable items, it is essential to pursue efficiency and rationality through a wholesale market system to distribute the products from producers to a large number of consumers. However, constraints in the wholes system limit the extent to which this local distribution functions. This paper demonstrates how a local distribution system for farmers living in rural areas could address this distortion. The concept of local distribution systems has been used since the 1990s, yet its significance and importance are still increasing in relevancy in today's Japanese agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 outbreak led to major disruptions in food systems across the globe. In the United States' Chicago region, the outbreak created immediate concerns around increased hunger, food insecurity, supply chain disruptions, and loss of local livelihoods. This was especially evident in communities of color, which faced disproportionate impacts from the pandemic. In March 2020, the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC) coordinated a Rapid Response Effort that convened people in working groups related to emergency food assistance, local food producers, small businesses, and food system workers to address urgent needs that arose due to the pandemic. Each working group met regularly through virtual calls. This effort has persisted throughout the pandemic in various forms. For this study, we interviewed CFPAC staff members and participants in these calls to create narratives that document respondents' perceptions of the Rapid Response Effort's evolution, benefits, challenges, and potential for long-term impacts. Thematic analysis conducted across these narratives revealed the importance of network connections to overcoming food system disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis also underscored challenges associated with racism in efforts to strengthen local and regional food systems. These findings indicate a need for research and practice that intentionally attend to power disparities related to race within collaborative networks in order to structure local and regional food systems to achieve greater racial equity and resilience to future shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local food systems are complex, and there is no single direct way to address their sustainability transition successfully. Therefore, a system transformation approach called 'co-evolution' is needed. Co-evolution requires continuous cooperation and participation of people from different community sectors and spaces for recursive mutual learning. This paper focuses on the secondary effects of citizen surveys on food systems on the actors involved and how citizen surveys experience can cultivate the conditions for co-evolution. The authors supported a 6-month “transition seminar”, a series of learning programs for visioning, fieldwork, analysis of findings, and recommendations for sustainability transitions in local food systems, organized by high school students. This seminar was conducted in 2017 at a high school in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, Japan, at the request of one of the students. The seminar was held for 8 sessions in total for about 30 high school students who requested it, with the theme of transforming the local food system in the Noshiro area. Participants developed a vision of a desirable local food system under the theme of “the community's ideal food system 30 years from now,” conducted fieldwork surveys, planned to realize the vision, and made policy proposals to the mayor of Noshiro. After the seminar, the result of the group interview shows that the fieldwork survey experience, in particular, had a long-term impact on participants' understanding of and ability to reflect on the food system and policies in the Noshiro area. In addition, interviews conducted in 2019 confirmed various secondary effects, including increased interest and networking among participating high school students, teachers, and stakeholders. This result suggests that citizen surveys for sustainable food systems have spillover various positive effects on stakeholders, including providers (researchers). Moreover, citizen surveys experience support collaboration and participation between different community sectors and space for recursive mutual learning and cultivate conditions for co-evolution.

The research on food flow network is unpredictable as the approaches employed are more targeted at specific study points, often excluding spatial and temporal changes. The research questions must still address why and how food flow moves in the entire supply chain system. This study aims to investigate the movement of food flow using national statistics, comprising of four main subsystems: agriculture, nutrition, waste, wastewater management, and the environment by using the Material Flow Analysis (MFA) approach. Comprehensive research using primary and secondary data including literature reviews have successfully bridged the knowledge gap on food supply chain management in Malaysia. This article provides new contributions through the considerations of food safety and the opportunity to understand flow issues that are connected to hotspots, closed flow, and economic circulars. Additionally, this study acts as a simple guide for policymakers to manage the imbalances of food supply in certain areas. From the perspective of food waste management, several important strategies were successfully formulated to combat the leakage of food waste flow and financial burden while highlighting the need for local social actors' involvement to fulfil Malaysia's agenda of Sustainable Development Goals.

Copyright of Journal of Agriculture Science Tokyo is the property of Tokyo University of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Given the importance that current food-related challenges pose to our society, the potential of local food initiatives to address sustainability has gained increased attention. Nevertheless, research has increasingly demonstrated that local food initiatives are limited in fulfilling their sustainability potential. This realisation has led many scholars to argue that the path towards food system transformation needs to be based on interconnected networks of these 'alternative' practices—what this paper terms local food systems. Nevertheless, as many local food initiatives rely on funding and volunteer work, their capacity to create infrastructures for integrated approaches is limited. In this context, influential players—those who can provide resources, such as local authorities—become key in the assemblage of local food systems. However, there is limited understanding of how the role of local authorities affects the internal dynamics of local food systems and potential outcomes. This study addresses this research gap by analysing two case studies (Preston, England and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country). Using urban political ecology (UPE) as a theoretical framework, this study offers original insight into the key governance elements affecting the direction of local food systems and thus the alignment of diverse local food initiatives, limiting their sustainability potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recursos Rurais is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the viability and sustainable practices of farm management in smallholder chicken layer farms in Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand, and their role in the local food system. The data for analysis were obtained through qualitative research methods, including focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with target groups. This research found that the chicken layer farms of Ban Klang have survived for over four decades. The viability and sustainable practices of the farms included traditional rice farming; production practices, including barn modification and construction using local materials; feed management; manure management; the distribution of farm products; and the support of local consumers. This study suggested that the smallholders of chicken layer farms in Ban Klang should develop their production according to their organic farming focus while co-investing with local governments and businesses. We also recommended the promotion of healthy, local food by linking production to local institutional consumption, such as school lunches, local hospitals, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study started from the premise that between the notions of short chain and agrifood chain there is a relationship as part to whole, and this paper aims to identify the differences between the two notions. Also, the concept of "local food system" will be analyzed, as it includes a short chain or a direct sale that meets other features. The study presents the triple end result approach of sustainable agriculture in the context of the creation of short chains or agri-food chains by showing off the benefits of these systems on the social, financial and environmental environment. At the end a study case for Romania high lightens the importance of creating and developing short food supply chains and the importance of support associations.

Food system transformations occur in a complex political, economic, social, and territorial landscape. The study provides a historical construction of global food regime changes and the adaptiveness, transformability, and resilience of the local food system in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern context. Lebanon offers a unique opportunity to understand the influence of global food regimes and geopolitics on agriculture, the local food system, and capital accumulation. After the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War, Lebanon experienced food retail transformation and international penetration through foreign investments. These alterations have several implications for society and the local food system: farming households' influence on agricultural policies and the political commitment to support the farming community decreased. The paper concludes that Lebanon's local food system transformation is a manifestation of geopolitical events and global food regime changes. This may have important implications and pave the way for a new food system that is based on the revitalization of agriculture and new forms of geoeconomic partnerships with regional actors.

A local food system is an alternative food network that shortens and more effectively structures the supply chain system. An intermediary actor functioning as an aggregator is needed in the local food system. The food hub is one such intermediary actor with an essential role in strengthening the local food system and increasing the competence of small farmers to compete with large-scale food distribution. Many studies have been conducted on the effectiveness and efficiency of food hubs; however, changing the supply chain system to one that is based on a local food system is challenging. This study aims to build a conceptual model that describes the activities and coordination of the actors involved in a food hub to achieve a local food system. In this study, a soft system methodology and case study approach are used to answer the research question. The results show that two transformations are needed to achieve a local food system: changing the supply chain system to one that is shorter and more structured and increasing quality consistency. Recommendations are presented in the form of a series of human activity systems to achieve transformations. Human activities to achieve a shorter and structured supply chain involve building cooperation, operating operational activities to add value, product identification, promotion, and developing fair-trade contracts. Human activities required to achieve transformation of increasing quality consistency include identifying high-demand customer requirements, forecasting, scheduling planting, and harvesting, improving training, cooperating with research institutions, farmer assistance, and quality inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers markets can offer solutions to several of the biggest problems besetting the US food system: fair prices to farmers; healthy, fresh food for consumers; direct contacts between consumers and farmers; food for food deserts; support for local economies. Awareness of these benefits led us to study the farmers markets of Greater Cincinnati. Markets grew rapidly in the early 1980s, peaked in 2012, and declined 17% by 2018. Sixty-one percent of the markets that started since 1970 have closed. Two types of markets exist: farmer-focused markets, with farmer vendors, and consumer-focused markets, with farmers and specialist vendors. Detailed information about market management shows that managers, the majority of whom are volunteers or underpaid, have insufficient resources to be sustainable. Market decline is often blamed on an oversupply of markets, but other factors are involved: the inability of market personnel and customers to cross class and racial boundaries; the encroachment of online retailers; a scarcity of farmers; market manager failures. Individual markets need to form coalitions and gain sufficient resources from governments or private funders to employ specialists who can assist managers, expand the consumer base, and design promotion campaigns that effectively promote farmers markets in the changing retail food landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Épidémiologie et Santé Animale is the property of Association pour l'Etude de l'Epidemiologie des Maladies Animales (AEEMA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the field of vegetable farming, it has become a common approach for farmers to advance into the secondary and tertiary industries to increase their income, an initiative known as the sixth industrialization. Under these circumstances, a growing trend is to outsource a part of the sixth industrialization activities in order to improve consumer satisfaction, strengthen market competitiveness, and avoid investment risks. However, owing to a mismatch between farmers and processors, there are few cases that result in collaboration. Under such circumstances, a new distribution channel called local distribution systems have been born, and its importance is increasing in Japan. This paper demonstrates how a local distribution system for farmers living in rural areas could address this distortion. The concept of local distribution systems has been used since the 1990s, and yet, its significance and importance are still increasing in relevancy in today’s Japanese agriculture. In this study, the subject is an intermediary (Company A) that originated from farmers, so it was able to understand the behavioral principles of farmers and to identify businesses that could not be covered by the management resources of farmers themselves. Through the entrustment of the business, company A could support the production and sales activities of the farmers. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the company does not directly involve members in the decision-making of sales methods but instead provides a number of options for decision-making, and (2) the needs on the production side will match those on the consumer side and play the role of communication. By building such a collaboration system, the company succeeded in establishing a local distribution system. In the distribution of vegetables, which is characterized as perishable items, it is essential to pursue efficiency and rationality through a wholesale market system to distribute the products from producers to a large number of consumers. However, constraints in the wholes system limit the extent to which this local distribution functions. This paper demonstrates how a local distribution system for farmers living in rural areas could address this distortion. The concept of local distribution systems has been used since the 1990s, yet its significance and importance are still increasing in relevancy in today’s Japanese agriculture.

The relocation of food systems in territories pursues both a political and civic ambition to reconnect agriculture and food, and to face the challenges of sustainable development. It calls upon ergonomics because such an evolution cannot be achieved without work transformations. The present article is based on an exploratory case study which was conducted on the Paris-Saclay territory. The study concerns the supply of local products to staff canteens. It focuses on actors whose positions (farm manager, restaurant manager) and experiences reveal an ongoing or “practise-based” redesign of intra and inter-organisation coordination processes that aims to support the development of the local food system. The case study highlights the elasticity of the territorial definition experienced by the actors involved in the development of a local food system according to the social and cultural values they defend. The actors appropriate and change the organisation of a local food system which crosses the boundaries of their own organisations. In this article we propose to approach the inter-organisational change that results from the re-localization of food in and through the territories. We define such a change as a collective design process which creates a dialogue between two coordination re-design processes, one at the level of each organisation and the other at the level of inter-organisational relations. Finally, we define a unique and situated “territorialisation work” that includes the activities of the coordination re-design, and which aims to develop a geographical, cultural and/or political space that the actors identify as a territory, in order for this space to fit in with their vision of what local and sustainable food means. We discuss the implications of the results for both ergonomic analysis and intervention.

The relocation of food systems in territories pursues both a political and civic ambition to reconnect agriculture and food, and to face the challenges of sustainable development. It calls upon ergonomics because such an evolution cannot be achieved without work transformations. The present article is based on an exploratory case study which was conducted on the Paris-Saclay territory. The study concerns the supply of local products to staff canteens. It focuses on actors whose positions (farm manager, restaurant manager) and experiences reveal an ongoing or "practise-based" redesign of intra and inter-organisation coordination processes that aims to support the development of the local food system. The case study highlights the elasticity of the territorial definition experienced by the actors involved in the development of a local food system according to the social and cultural values they defend. The actors appropriate and change the organisation of a local food system which crosses the boundaries of their own organisations. In this article we propose to approach the inter-organisational change that results from the re-localization of food in and through the territories. We define such a change as a collective design process which creates a dialogue between two coordination re-design processes, one at the level of each organisation and the other at the level of inter-organisational relations. Finally, we define a unique and situated "territorialisation work" that includes the activities of the coordination re-design, and which aims to develop a geographical, cultural and/or political space that the actors identify as a territory, in order for this space to fit in with their vision of what local and sustainable food means. We discuss the implications of the results for both ergonomic analysis and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how food planning policies address the reterritorialization of agricultural activities (RAA), a crucial component of local food systems. While food planning as an integrated local policy promoting local food systems has gained increasing research attention, most of the research has been urban-centric, resulting in a limited understanding of how it includes RAA. This paper fills this research gap by assessing 39 food planning projects in France, where the state defines food planning by national law and supports local projects. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews, RAA-associated food planning policy goals, instruments, and agri-food professional actors' involvement are identified. The empirical findings highlight the central role of RAA in French food planning projects; it either serves as the primary motivation behind these projects or evolves into a substantial component as the projects develop. A wide range of policy instruments with local innovation to support RAA are identified, with more frequent use of informational and economic than regulatory and coercive instruments, and more focus on economic development than on ecological transition. Minority and majority farmers' organizations are involved in food planning processes with varying degrees of engagement across territories, reflecting local governance strategies. The analytical methods in this study may contribute to future research to better comprehend RAA in local food policymaking. The systematic overview of RAA-associated food planning measures also offers insights to policymakers in other contexts regarding food policy design. The paper concludes by arguing that food planning extends beyond urban food supply; it also presents an opportunity to leverage RAA for rural revitalization and transformation, in terms of production models, rural-urban links, and local governance. • Systematic analysis of 39 projects offers an overview of French food planning. • French food plans favor economic and informational over regulatory measures. • Food planning instruments prioritize economic development over ecological transition. • French food planning engages diverse actors; both major and minor farmer groups participate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Market access in the local food system of the American Midwest is largely predicated on key social and economic relationships. This study examines the personal networks of emerging farmers enrolled in an incubator farm training program. Drawing from social network and qualitative analysis the study findings yield insights into the relationship between social networks, market access, and financial sustainability among emerging farmers. Some farmers have highly dense support networks with many strong familial ties. Others have smaller support networks charac­terized by weaker and more sparse ties. Highly individualized farmer characteristics and aspirations are shown to greatly influence the building and maintaining of networks. Advice networks are demonstrated to affect market access, decision-making, and indicators for entrepreneurial success. Smaller advice networks of non–English speaking farmers demonstrate limited market access and access to information. This distinction is high­lighted in the discussion of policy and agricultural development programs targeted toward emerging farmers.

Revitalisation of rural communities, benefits for local farmers and environment are expected outcomes of local food initiatives which are emerging as an opposition to the adverse social and economic effects of globalization. Local food networks diversify the rural economy, promote greater economic independence and local potential, improve the area’s image and reduce GHG emissions. The purchase of local food increases incomes of both the community and local producers, as well as increases employment and related multiplier effects at the local level, for example, increased value of new production, import substitution, increased incomes, and created additional jobs. Revitalisation of rural communities, benefits for local farmers and environment are expected outcomes of local food initiatives which are emerging as an opposition to the adverse social and economic effects of globalization It has been revealed that much of current research on local and regional food networks lacks a strong theoretical grounding and quantitative rigor; however, community development practitioners and planners need objective and research-based information for food system design and implementation in order to produce community or regional wellbeing. The aim of the paper is to develop the concept of an integrated assessment model of local food systems based on the analysis of the literature, which would provide a basis for empirical analysis. The analysis model contains dimensions of sustainable development, allowing us to assess not only direct effects (income, reduced greenhouse gas emissions etc.) but also indirect ones (economic, social and environmental resilience of local communities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I focus on the efforts to link food and agriculture in North America and Japan, and discuss what role COVID-19 can play in shifting the food system away from dependence on markets. I also examine the historical trends in the relationship between food and agriculture, and the impact that the spread of COVID-19 has had on those trends. Furthermore, I look at the expected changes in the relationship between food and agriculture in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study started from the premise that between the notions of short chain and agrifood chain there is a relationship as part to whole, and this paper aims to identify the differences between the two notions. Also, the concept of "local food system" will be analyzed, as it includes a short chain or a direct sale that meets other features. The study presents the triple end result approach of sustainable agriculture in the context of the creation of short chains or agri-food chains by showing off the benefits of these systems on the social, financial and environmental environment. At the end a study case for Romania high lightens the importance of creating and developing short food supply chains and the importance of support associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]