Short food supply chain (SFSCs) initiatives have developed throughout Europe as an alternative to the long industrialized chains characterizing the contemporary global food industry. They are often driven by small-scale actors belonging to different phases of the chain (producers, retailers, consumers) and rooted in specific territorial contexts. Innovative organizational models of SFSCs are attracting interest in the academic field (Jarosz, 2008, Khan and Prior, 2010, Aubry and Kebir, 2013 and beyond (RUAF, 2015). This work contributes to the debate with a focus on the logistics of SFSCs in urban and peri-urban areas across Europe, specifically on the role of local intermediaries in facilitating connections between urban consumers and peri-urban and rural farmers. The structure of three small/medium enterprises (SMEs) acting as local SFSC intermediaries has been analyzed by a research network involving researchers and entrepreneurs in a mutual learning process. The aim was to identify the main business objectives of local intermediaries in SFSCs, the elements that from the SMEs point of view characterize SFSCs and their vision of sustainability. A simple theoretical model has been developed to look at leadership of SFSCs in urban and peri-urban areas. The research process provided interesting insight into the contribution that qualitative research can give to SMEs' reflection on their organizational model (Zakic et al., 2014). core ideasLocal intermediaries can stimulate innovative organizational models in short chains.Leadership in short chains determines prioritization between sustainability goals.Trust and communication, more than distance, are short chain key elements.Flexible regulation can contribute to speeding up development of innovative partnerships.Qualitative research can support SMEs with an integrated vision of their supply chain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.