Online and On-Site Interactions within Alternative Food Networks: Sustainability Impact of Knowledge-Sharing Practices

Abstract

The sustainability debate in the food sector has exposed the current food system to critics, encouraging the significant growth of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), new ways of food production, distribution and consumption that aim to shorten the food chain. Our study is focused on Food Assembly (FA), a special kind of AFN combining the culture of social entrepreneurship and digital innovation to achieve sustainability and a high social impact. The coexistence of a digital platform and a weekly farmers’ market triggers, within this network, mechanisms of knowledge sharing and self-organisation. To date, however, few studies have focused simultaneously on online and on-site interactions within AFNs, especially with quantitative studies. Our paper aims to test the hypothesis that online and on-site knowledge sharing affects the success of a FA measured by customer sustainable behaviour change. To do so, we developed a quantitative analysis based on a regression model. We collected data via a questionnaire submitted to 8497 Italian FA customers, of which 2115 responses were included in our analysis. The results show that online knowledge sharing significantly affects customer change towards more sustainable purchasing and consumption behaviours, while on-site knowledge sharing positively affects sustainable purchasing behaviours.

Virtual Barriers: Unpacking the Sustainability Implications of Online Food Spaces and the Yellowknife Farmers Market’s Response to COVID-19

“…The face-to-face interactions and tactile connection to the food are celebrated with farmers' markets broadly, with literature describing patrons' market experiences as much more than a 'grocery trip' but a meaningful leisure experience and opportunity to build connections (3,24,25). As remarked by Martin, "farmers markets are about conversations and relationships" (3) (p168).…”

“…For markets facing crises like COVID-19, however, online markets may help to e ciently connect patrons and consumers to limit physical contact and time in public spaces while informing them of the product options and sources. Even without an online option for purchasing, building upon existing interactive online communities using social media or other platforms, markets like the YKFM can build community growing and food skills, knowledge, connections, and resilience during system shocks like COVID-19 that can leverage urban growing spaces and nurture self-determination and reliance (11,12,21,24). In addition, these networks can expand beyond the boundaries of Yellowknife to bene t, connect, and inform communities and food producers to support Northern self-reliance.…”

“…These online markets have the ability to share knowledge regarding production and products, facilitate small-scale sales and connect with consumers at pick-up or delivery, and yet they are diverse with some integrated with larger online communities and others as simple stores (21,22). Both online and o ine markets have been found to in uence consumption of local and sustainable foods, although o ine interactions have been found to be important for building trust, transparency, and deeper connections with food and farmers (11,21,23,24). Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for accessible online place-based knowledge speci c to the local climate and growing conditions has exploded alongside growth in home gardening and subsistence agriculture with potential to increase access to fruits and vegetables (9,18).…”

Logics Hindering Digital Transformation in Cultural Heritage Strategic Management: An Exploratory Case Study

“…Digital technologies have had a huge impact on communication processes, making them faster, bidirectional, customizable according to specific targets, and subject to continuous evaluation by third parties (De Bernardi, Bertello, & Venuti, 2019). This has resulted in an interactive relationship between the provider and receiver of information, giving power to the recipient to change the medium or channel of communication, and to immediately express their level of satisfaction of dissatisfaction, upon their independent evaluation, case study (Eisenhardt, 1989;Sirakaya-Turk & Uysal, 2017) with the aim to explore the logics hindering digital transformation in cultural heritage strategic management of museums in Turin, Italy.…”

Understanding the Impact of Opinion Leaders’ Characteristics on Online Group Knowledge-Sharing Engagement from In-Group and Out-Group Perspectives: Evidence from a Chinese Online Knowledge-Sharing Community

“…For instance, Smith pinpointed that opinion leaders can be catalysts or inhibitors of intermittent or ongoing knowledge-sharing efforts, which depends on their personal factors and influence [18]. De Bernardi, Bertello, and Venuti highlighted the far-reaching significance of combining the culture of special social characters who are in key positions (e.g., opinion leaders of groups) and knowledge-sharing to achieve sustainability and high social impact [19]. Witt suggested that opinion leaders' intense communication with ordinary users might directly translate into certain positive cognitive commonalities and socially shared tacit knowledge, such as knowledge about social models of behavior [20].…”