Sustainability of Global and Local Food Value Chains: An Empirical Comparison of Peruvian and Belgian Asparagus

Schwarz, Jana; Schuster, Monica; Annaert, Bernd; Maertens, Miet; Mathijs, Erik

doi:10.3390/su8040344

Cited by 34 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Ulrich (2014) indicates that local farmers perceive the expansion of horticultural export production to be associated with increased water scarcity in the Laikipia area in Kenya. Vera (2015) and Schwarz et al (2016) expressed concerns about unsustainable water use in the asparagus export sector in the arid coastal zone of Peru. Yet, in a cross-country study on virtual water trade, Schwarz et al (2015) point out that the growth in horticultural exports is beneficial for developing countries from a water efficiency perspective.…”

Section: Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Horticultural exports and food security in developing countries

Broeck

Maertens

2016

Global Food Security

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This article reviews the channels through which horticultural exports affect food security in developing countries. We describe the trends in horticultural export chains and investigate the macro-and micro-level effects on the different components of food security, including availability, access, utilization and stability. The available evidence suggests that horticultural exports contribute to food security in developing countries, particularly through the development of rural labor markets and female wage employment in companies. Important challenges remain; most notably the provision of secure employment at remunerative conditions and the sustainable use of water resources. Private food standards may contribute to overcoming these challenges. Empirical evidence that directly measures the implications of horticultural exports on food security is highly needed.

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Section: Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Horticultural exports and food security in developing countries

Broeck

Maertens

2016

Global Food Security

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“…In this case, the environmental impact per unit of product delivered may be large. In the asparagus case study (see Schwarz et al [47] in this special issue) it is estimated that transport-related GHG emissions of Peruvian asparagus (exported to Belgium) are 11.12 CO 2 -eq./kg. The local Belgian chain only emits 0.03 CO 2 -eq./kg.…”

Section: Physical Distancementioning

confidence: 99%

Are Local Food Chains More Sustainable than Global Food Chains? Considerations for Assessment

et al. 2016

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This paper summarizes the main findings of the GLAMUR project which starts with an apparently simple question: is "local" more sustainable than "global"? Sustainability assessment is framed within a post-normal science perspective, advocating the integration of public deliberation and scientific research. The assessment spans 39 local, intermediate and global supply chain case studies across different commodities and countries. Assessment criteria cover environmental, economic, social, health and ethical sustainability dimensions. A closer view of the food system demonstrates a highly dynamic local-global continuum where actors, while adapting to a changing environment, establish multiple relations and animate several chain configurations. The evidence suggests caution when comparing "local" and "global" chains, especially when using the outcomes of the comparison in decision-making. Supply chains are analytical constructs that necessarily-and arbitrarily-are confined by system boundaries, isolating a set of elements from an interconnected whole. Even consolidated approaches, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), assess only a part of sustainability attributes, and the interpretation may be controversial. Many sustainability attributes are not yet measurable and "hard" methodologies need to be complemented by "soft" methodologies which are at least able to identify critical issues and trade-offs. Aware of these limitations, our research shows that comparing local and global chains, with the necessary caution, can help overcome a priori positions that so far have characterized the debate between "localists" and "globalists". At firm level, comparison between "local" and "global" chains could be useful to identify best practices, benchmarks, critical points, and errors to avoid. As sustainability is not a status to achieve, but a never-ending process, comparison and deliberation can be the basis of a "reflexive governance" of food chains.

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“…Among those trends, particularly the larger demand for local food was encouraged by the growing globalization of food production systems and the mounting evidence of scandals, which led consumers to pay more attention to food origin (Adams-Salois 2010, Feldmann-Hamm 2015, Hempel-Hamm 2016a. Although the absence of agreement on a universal definition of local food persists within the scientific community (Feldmann-Hamm 2015, Schwarz et al 2016, Galli et al 2015, Taillie-Jaacks 2015, in the last two decades a large number of studies attempted to assess the manifold driving attitudes and preferences of consumers for purchasing local food products. However, as Feldmann and Hamm (2015: 159) argue, while the majority of studies on consumers' preferences and purchasing behaviour used the influence of demographic characteristics, 'social and personal norms were rarely addressed'.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%