IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/roafes/v103y2022i3d10.1007_s41130-022-00172-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Characteristics and stability of consumer food-buying groups: the case of food circles

Author

Listed:
  • Kirsi Korhonen

    (Natural Resources Institute Finland)

  • Toivo Muilu

    (Natural Resources Institute Finland)

Abstract

Demand for local and organic food has increased rapidly in Finland in the past two decades, as also have the wide variety of alternative food networks and food cooperatives (e.g. food-buying groups or food circles). However, the operating environment of traditional food-buying groups, aka food circles (ruokapiiri), has been experiencing changes as well. The supply of local and organic food in grocery stores has improved and new types of social media-based buying groups (REKO rings) have formed. This paper examines and evaluates the characteristics and stability of food circles in the Northern Ostrobothnia region in Finland by studying their structure and changes in their status over a 5-year period and reviewing their similarities and differences to REKO rings. An electronic survey and seven semi-structured interviews were implemented during the years 2013 and 2014. In addition, the status of the food circles was investigated in 2019 via email or phone, and REKO rings were studied through the literature. Food circles were usually seen as a functional way to purchase local and organic foodstuffs. Some members valued the high degree of traceability of shipments and face-to-face encounters with producers; for others, the primary motivation was overcoming issues of access and affordability. However, only two of the seven food circles interviewed were still operating in 2019. In addition, their level of activity had slowed down or transformed. Although most of the food circles were established by active consumers with more than just the intention to make local and organic food more available, it seemed that later on in operation most of the side activities faded and the groups failed to engage suitable people in the activity. Probably the most important difference between traditional food circles and modern REKO rings is the need to volunteer. In addition, social media-based REKO rings are better known on a mainstream level. On the other hand, our findings may indicate that while food-buying groups, as a form of alternative food networks, are a relatively new phenomenon in Finland, they might just be still applying their format.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirsi Korhonen & Toivo Muilu, 2022. "Characteristics and stability of consumer food-buying groups: the case of food circles," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 103(3), pages 211-245, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:roafes:v:103:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s41130-022-00172-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s41130-022-00172-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41130-022-00172-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41130-022-00172-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roberta Sonnino & Terry Marsden, 2006. "Beyond the divide: rethinking relationships between alternative and conventional food networks in Europe," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(2), pages 181-199, April.
    2. Enthoven, Laura & Van den Broeck, Goedele, 2021. "Local food systems: Reviewing two decades of research," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    3. Sini Forssell & Leena Lankoski, 2015. "The sustainability promise of alternative food networks: an examination through “alternative” characteristics," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(1), pages 63-75, March.
    4. Jean Lagane, 2015. "When students run AMAPs: towards a French model of CSA," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(1), pages 133-141, March.
    5. Axel Gruvaeus & Johanna Dahlin, 2021. "Revitalization of Food in Sweden—A Closer Look at the REKO Network," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-23, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabel Miralles & Domenico Dentoni & Stefano Pascucci, 2017. "Understanding the organization of sharing economy in agri-food systems: evidence from alternative food networks in Valencia," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(4), pages 833-854, December.
    2. Ronaldo Tavares Souza, 2020. "Box-scheme as alternative food network—the economic integration between consumers and producers," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-25, December.
    3. Desquilbet, Marion & Maigné, Elise & Monier-Dilhan, Sylvette, 2018. "Organic Food Retailing and the Conventionalisation Debate," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 194-203.
    4. Rosario Michel-Villarreal & Martin Hingley & Maurizio Canavari & Ilenia Bregoli, 2019. "Sustainability in Alternative Food Networks: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Sonja Kaufmann & Nikolaus Hruschka & Luis Vildozo & Christian R. Vogl, 2023. "Alternative Food Networks in Latin America—exploring PGS (Participatory Guarantee Systems) markets and their consumers: a cross-country comparison," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 193-216, March.
    6. Fatima El Hadad-Gauthier & Myriam-Emilie Kessari & G. Palma & Leila Temri & S. Tozanli, 2016. "Towards a sustainable convention: values and practices in the French stone fruits’value chain," Post-Print hal-01407267, HAL.
    7. Virginie Baritaux & Carole Chazoule, 2018. "Légitimité et positionnement des marchés de gros dans les dynamiques de relocalisation de l’alimentation : les cas du marché de Lyon Corbas et du MIN de Grenoble," Post-Print hal-03122984, HAL.
    8. Giannis T. Tsoulfas & Panagiotis Trivellas & Panagiotis Reklitis & Anna Anastasopoulou, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Short Supply Chains in the Agri-Food Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-46, January.
    9. Maria Cecilia Mancini & Davide Menozzi & Michele Donati & Beatrice Biasini & Mario Veneziani & Filippo Arfini, 2019. "Producers’ and Consumers’ Perception of the Sustainability of Short Food Supply Chains: The Case of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-23, January.
    10. Markus Lundström, 2019. "“We do this because the market demands it”: alternative meat production and the speciesist logic," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(1), pages 127-136, March.
    11. Chiaverina, Pierre & Drogué, Sophie & Jacquet, Florence, 2024. "Do Farmers Participating in Short Food Supply Chains Use Less Pesticides? Evidence from France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    12. Gustavo Magalh?es de Oliveira & Gaetano Martino & Chiara Riganelli & Michela Ascani, 2022. "Sustainable transition and food democracy: The role of decision making process in Solidarity Purchasing Groups," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 24(2), pages 1-34.
    13. de Oliveira, Gustavo Magalhães & Martino, Gaetano & Riganelli, Chiara & Ascani, Michela, 2022. "Sustainable transition and food democracy: The role of decision making process in Solidarity Purchasing Groups," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 24(2), September.
    14. Virginie Baritaux & Carole Chazoule, 2019. "Legitimacy Of Terminal Wholesale Markets As Stakeholders Of Local Food Chains," Post-Print hal-03122989, HAL.
    15. Gaetano Martino & Giulia Giacchè & Enrica Rossetti, 2016. "Organizing the Co-Production of Health and Environmental Values in Food Production: The Constitutional Processes in the Relationships between Italian Solidarity Purchasing Groups and Farmers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-22, March.
    16. Antonino Galati & Giuseppina Migliore & Alkis Thrassou & Giorgio Schifani & Giuseppina Rizzo & Nino Adamashvili & Maria Crescimanno, 2023. "Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Agri-Food Products Delivered with Electric Vehicles in the Short Supply Chains," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 12(2), pages 193-207, June.
    17. Bianca Polenzani & Chiara Riganelli & Andrea Marchini, 2020. "Sustainability Perception of Local Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Consumers’ Attitude: A New Italian Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, January.
    18. Sini Forssell & Leena Lankoski, 2015. "The sustainability promise of alternative food networks: an examination through “alternative” characteristics," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(1), pages 63-75, March.
    19. Stefani, Gianluca & Lombardi, Ginevra Virginia & Romano, Donato & Cei, Leonardo, 2017. "Grass Root Collective Action for Territorially Integrated Food Supply Chains: A Case Study from Tuscany," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 8(4), October.
    20. Adrián Csordás & Péter Lengyel & István Füzesi, 2022. "Who Prefers Regional Products? A Systematic Literature Review of Consumer Characteristics and Attitudes in Short Food Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-17, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:roafes:v:103:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s41130-022-00172-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.