The Impacts of Local Markets: A Review of Research on Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture

“…In addition, we find only few other learning fields, e.g. about cultivation techniques in self-harvest gardens (Vogl et al, 2004) or production problems in a food coop (Brunori et al, 2012). Interestingly, some of the studies explain consumers' AFNbased learning by consumer-producer interactions.…”

“…Despite the overall aim to achieve changes in food quality, production, distribution and consumption, the AFN concept covers a broad variety of forms, such as on-and off-farm direct marketing (Allen et al, 2006;Brown and Miller, 2008), producer-producer networks (Marsden et al, 2008) or producer-consumer partnerships (Venn et al, 2006). Still, some commonalities are also discussed in the literature, for instance 1. spatial or organisational proximity of consumers and producers, 2. new modes of consumer-producer connectivity, and 3. shared values of actors within an AFN.…”

“…Even if the way and frequency of knowledge transfer does not show characteristics for certain AFN types, CPI in the domain of knowledge is a key element of all AFN types (Brunori et al, 2012;Moellers and Birhala, 2014;Vogl et al, 2004). Communication and knowledge transfer can be seen as precondition for community building, motivation for participation (Brehm and Eisenhauer, 2008) or as one way of integration of members (Anschütz, 2015;Forssell and Lankoski, 2015;Moellers and Birhala, 2014).…”

“…• Food Coops (also called Solidary Purchase Groups) -associations of consumers who jointly organise their food purchases and arrange for regular deliveries by regional farmers (Brunori et al, 2012;Zitcer, 2015); and…”

“…Other studies focus on the effects of consumers' learning and heightened awareness (Adler et al, 2003;Andreatta et al, 2008;Brunori et al, 2012;J. N. Cohen et al, 2012;Gorland, 2002;Hayden and Buck, 2012;Lamine, 2015;Lutz and Schachinger, 2013;Macias, 2008;Vogl et al, 2004).…”