‘Values‐based Territorial Food Networks’—Benefits, challenges and controversies

Abstract

The special issue titled 'Values-based Territorial Food Networks -Benefits, challenges and controversies' and this introductory editorial aim to bridge conceptual and disciplinary differences within the literature on alternative agro-food networks and related concepts. In the editorial we outline a new umbrella term, Values-based Territorial Food Networks (VTFNs), which synthesises the key commonalities that characterise alternatives to the mainstream food system. VTFNs are defined as networks that connect agro-food and related stakeholders within a defined territory that operate according to a coherent set of ethical values centred on social justice and wellbeing, environmental integrity, participatory governance and economic fairness. We discuss how VTFNs relate to earlier concepts, showing the evolution from 'alternative ' to 'values based', from 'local' to 'territorial' and from 'supply chains' to 'networks'. The editorial also gives an overview of the empirical case studies in the special issue, which explore 10 place-based food initiatives (from Austria,

Managing growth in medium‐sized organic businesses: Implications for local orientation and resilience building

“…The ecological and social aspects we focus on for the analysed cases are organic production and the local orientation. In this section, we pinpoint how the management actions taken in response to crisis could be translated into sources of adaptive capacity that in turn build resilience for the studied businesses and how these adaptations impacted their territorial embeddedness (Nemes et al 2023). In Figure 1 and Table 2, we summarise the adaptive dynamics of the businesses.…”

“…Such food systems can be described as Values-based Territorial Food Networks (VTFN). VTFN is an overarching concept encompassing local food systems, civic food networks, alternative food networks and short food supply chains (Nemes et al 2023). Overall, values hold together the manifold alternatives to mainstream food systems, including interrelated sustainability values.…”

“…In addition, these values are put into practice, as in the case of organic production. 'Territorial' is used to underline that these initiatives consider some kind of 'placebasedness' as a central part of their identity (Nemes et al 2023).…”

Conflict and oppositions in the development of peri‐urban agriculture: The case of the Greater São Paulo region

“…However, they are also set apart from this tradition by the motivations of their creators and their strong social and organisational innovations (Harrison & Vezin, 2006), like support for populations and links with the social economy, reference to the traceability of products and the origin of the farmer, methods of delivery and routing of products or reduction of food miles (Mundler & Laughrea, 2016). The Values-Based Territorial Food Networks (Nemes et al 2023) emphasise the dimensions of production and exchanges with consumers but also the governance of the whole local complex network and their acceptability by local populations.…”

“…Nowadays, the question of supply and food security in large urban centres (so-called food sovereignty; FAO, 2013) becomes an essential dimension for more resilient urban governance. Values-Based Territorial Food Networks (Nemes et al 2023) provide food solutions for local populations, but they also raise questions in terms of territorial governance and economic and landuse issues. Regarding the constant increase in the world population (United Nations Organization (UNO), 2019) and its dominant urban character (FAO, 2009), proximity agriculture is considered a solution for several problems (De Zeeuw et al, 2000;FAO, 2007;Opitz et al, 2016).…”