OBJECTIVES AND RESOURCES USES RANKING IN SOLIDARITY PURCHASING GROUPS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Abstract

The objective of the paper is investigating food networks (FNs), focusing on the emerging of recurring themes in literature and investigating how the networks relationships may influence the resources uses in farming activities. The research was carried out through access to Web of Science and Scopus databases in order to investigate the literature on FNs. The period considered is 2000-2016, using as selected key words food networks, food and practices, alternative food networks. Then we selected and classified the resulting articles and identified a set of themes addressed in literature.

The main outcome of this analysis is the identification of the following themes: a) common/shared FNs characteristics; b) trust creation and embeddedness facilitated by face to face relations; c) role of FNs in transformation of food systems towards social, environmental and health objectives; d) food citizenship/sovereignty-civil engagement; e) values inspiring FNs objectives, namely sustainability, fairness/social justice, health protection, ethical consumption/political action; f) governance of the consumers-producers relations.
We argue that identified themes are dimensions related to FNs objectives. More precisely we then conceptualize the identified characteristics as drivers of the ranking of resource uses in farming systems. Elaborating on this idea we derive principles for supporting the design of governance of these groups. The study concludes underlying the complexity of food networks and their capability to influence the resources uses by setting up flexible but resilient governance structures.

Keywords: Civic engagement, food networks, governance design, ranking of resources uses values, trust creation

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.061