Alternative Food Networks in Food System Transition—Values, Motivation, and Capacity Building among Young Swedish Market Gardeners

Abstract

This study sheds light on a new generation of Swedish food producers, market gardeners, who are attracting attention in terms of food system sustainability, prompted by increasing consumer awareness about the value of healthy and locally produced food. Market gardening is part of a global agroecological movement opposed to industrialized agriculture and its negative impacts on the environment and rural communities. These food producers challenge the incumbent agri-food regime through the building of alternative food networks. This case-based study involving 14 young vegetable producers showed that young people who engage in market gardening are strongly motivated by dual incentives, namely entrepreneurship and transformation to sustainability. Six main competences were identified as important for market gardeners: practical skills related to growing vegetables, business management, innovation and continuous learning, systems thinking, pioneering, and networking. Individuals develop their skills through continuous experiential learning and gain knowledge through peer-to-peer learning using social media. However, they need to acquire certain skills relating to their daily work in the field and to managing a business. Market gardeners currently face a number of barriers erected by the sociopolitical environment, in particular regarding access to research-based knowledge, extension services, and business support.

How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: a review study focused on farming as a career option

“…Even though these studies provide insights on the inspirational effects of being involved with “movements” on career initiation, there are still many uncertainties about how online “movements” potentially lead to farming careers. A review of the literature on digital "movement" initiatives provides a number of key findings, with three articles in particular advancing our understanding of the impact of online food movements, back-to-the-land movements (Bruce 2019 ; Unay-Gailhard and Simões 2022 ), and online agro-ecological environmentalist groups (Drottberger et al 2021 ) on career initiation and change.…”

“…A study by Drottberger et al ( 2021 ) explores the motivations and capacity building among young Swedish market gardeners who are attracting attention through sustainable lifestyle ideologies which are prompted by demand for healthy and locally produced food. The authors find that the values of the interviewed market gardeners are in-line with the global agroecology movement being facilitated by digital platforms.…”

“…Our review study captured the newcomers (those showing different backgrounds from previous generations) mostly within the “career change” category. Entry into farming careers was observed to have occurred from different occupations and those not necessarily related to the agriculture and food sector, such as chef, computer programmer, and international aid worker (Drottberger et al 2021 ; Bruce 2019 ), with university-level education in disciplines other than agriculture, such as economics, mechanical engineering, forest engineering, tourism, sociology, geography, electronics, and informatics (Unay-Gailhard and Simões 2022 ). There are also studies confirming the new media definition of new entrants into farming with immigration to rural regions from urban regions (Dolci and Perrin 2018 ; Guarín et al 2020 ; Unay-Gailhard and Simões 2022 ).…”

Food systems in transition: conceptualizing sustainable food entrepreneurship

“…Sourcing organic produce to large retailers is increasingly difficult for small producers because retailers can afford to keep lowering their prices or decide to stop buying their products altogether (Kuokkanen et al, 2019;Larsson et al, 2016;Paloviita, 2009). Furthermore, small-scale farmers often try to oppose the global industrialized system by doing things differently but feel marginalized because the system favours the larger firms (Drottberger et al, 2021). They need even more of their limited time to create new meanings of food whilst continuing to risk having larger, more globally oriented firms snatch up their successful innovations again (McKee, 2018).This means the inherent uncertainty of the food system entices small food producers to continuously reinvent their past experiences in a specific socio-material context.…”

“…Although the role of entrepreneurship in making the food system more sustainable is studied extensively, most studies don't specify the precise meaning of the used terminology 'entrepreneur' and 'entrepreneurship' (Barth et al, 2017;Delgado, 2017;Follmann & Viehoff, 2015;Garavaglia, 2017;Gillebo & Hugo, 2006;Hayden et al, 2014;McKee, 2018;Montanari & Staniscia, 2009;Moskwa et al, 2015;Sjölander-Lindqvist & Cinque, 2014). Some studies distinguish different types of entrepreneurship based on goals, actions and motivations of entrepreneurs, utilizing adjectives such as 'social', 'eco' and 'sustainable' (Drottberger et al, 2021;Jolink & Niesten, 2015;Kline et al, 2014;Larsson et al, 2016;Mayer & Knox, 2010;Paloviita, 2009). This suggests entrepreneurship can be understood, either implicitly or explicitly, as the behaviour of entrepreneurs and enterprises.…”