IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v8y2018i11p173-d180121.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Multi-Actor Literature Review on Alternative and Sustainable Food Systems for the Promotion of Cereal Biodiversity

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanna Sacchi

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette, 32-50127 Florence, Italy)

  • Leonardo Cei

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padua Via dell’Università, Legnaro, 16-35020 Padua, Italy)

  • Gianluca Stefani

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette, 32-50127 Florence, Italy)

  • Ginevra Virginia Lombardi

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette, 32-50127 Florence, Italy)

  • Benedetto Rocchi

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette, 32-50127 Florence, Italy)

  • Giovanni Belletti

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette, 32-50127 Florence, Italy)

  • Susanne Padel

    (The Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, RG20 0HR Berkshire, UK)

  • Anna Sellars

    (The Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, RG20 0HR Berkshire, UK)

  • Edneia Gagliardi

    (Agri-Food Economics and Social Science, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG66AH, UK)

  • Giuseppe Nocella

    (Agri-Food Economics and Social Science, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG66AH, UK)

  • Sarah Cardey

    (Agri-Food Economics and Social Science, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG66AH, UK)

  • Minna Mikkola

    (Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, Kampusranta 9C, 60320 Seinäjoki, Finland)

  • Urszula Ala-Karvia

    (Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, Kampusranta 9C, 60320 Seinäjoki, Finland)

  • Àine Macken-Walsh

    (Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ashtown, D15 KN3K Dublin, Ireland)

  • Bridin McIntyre

    (Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ashtown, D15 KN3K Dublin, Ireland)

  • John Hyland

    (Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ashtown, D15 KN3K Dublin, Ireland)

  • Maeve Henchion

    (Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ashtown, D15 KN3K Dublin, Ireland)

  • Riccardo Bocci

    (Rete Semi Rurali, Via di Casignano, Scandicci, 25-50018 Florence, Italy)

  • Bettina Bussi

    (Rete Semi Rurali, Via di Casignano, Scandicci, 25-50018 Florence, Italy)

  • Giuseppe De Santis

    (Rete Semi Rurali, Via di Casignano, Scandicci, 25-50018 Florence, Italy)

  • Ismael Rodriguez y Hurtado

    (Réseau Semences Paysannes, 10, Place Clémenceau, 47190 Aiguillon, France)

  • Patrick De Kochko

    (Réseau Semences Paysannes, 10, Place Clémenceau, 47190 Aiguillon, France)

  • Pierre Riviere

    (Réseau Semences Paysannes, 10, Place Clémenceau, 47190 Aiguillon, France)

  • María Carrascosa-García

    (Red Andaluza De Semillas Cultivando Biodiversidad, Parque de San Jerónimo s/n. 41015 Seville, Spain)

  • Ignacio Martínez

    (Red Andaluza De Semillas Cultivando Biodiversidad, Parque de San Jerónimo s/n. 41015 Seville, Spain)

  • Bruce Pearce

    (The Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, RG20 0HR Berkshire, UK)

  • Nic Lampkin

    (The Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, RG20 0HR Berkshire, UK)

  • Camille Vindras

    (Institut Technique de l’Agriculture Biologique, 2485 Route des Pécolets, 26800 Etoile-sur-Rhône, France)

  • Frederic Rey

    (Institut Technique de l’Agriculture Biologique, 2485 Route des Pécolets, 26800 Etoile-sur-Rhône, France)

  • Véronique Chable

    (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, INRA Centre Bretagne-Normandie, UMR BAGAP, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, 35042 Rennes CEDEX, France)

  • Antoine Cormery

    (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, INRA Centre Bretagne-Normandie, UMR BAGAP, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, 35042 Rennes CEDEX, France)

  • Gyula Vasvari

    (Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences (DE-AGTC), University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

Abstract

Organic and low-input food systems are emerging worldwide in answer to the sustainability crisis of the conventional agri-food sector. “Alternative” systems are based on local, decentralized approaches to production and processing, regarding quality and health, and short supply-chains for products with strong local identities. Diversity is deeply embedded in these food systems, from the agrobiodiversity grown in farmers’ fields, which improves resilience and adaptation, to diverse approaches, contexts and actors in food manufacturing and marketing. Diversity thus becomes a cross-sectoral issue which acknowledges consumers’ demand for healthy products. In the framework of the European project “CERERE, CEreal REnaissance in Rural Europe: embedding diversity in organic and low-input food systems”, the paper aims at reviewing recent research on alternative and sustainable food systems by adopting an innovative and participatory multi-actor approach; this has involved ten practitioners and twenty-two researchers from across Europe and a variety of technical backgrounds in the paper and analysis stages. The participatory approach is the main innovation and distinctive feature of this literature review. Partners selected indeed what they perceived as most relevant in order to facilitate a transition towards more sustainable and diversity based cereal systems and food chains. This includes issues related to alternative food networks, formal and informal institutional settings, grass root initiatives, consumer involvement and, finally, knowledge exchange and sustainability. The review provides an overview of recent research that is relevant to CERERE partners as well as to anyone interested in alternative and sustainable food systems. The main objective of this paper was indeed to present a narrative of studies, which can form the foundation for future applied research to promote alternative methods of cereal production in Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanna Sacchi & Leonardo Cei & Gianluca Stefani & Ginevra Virginia Lombardi & Benedetto Rocchi & Giovanni Belletti & Susanne Padel & Anna Sellars & Edneia Gagliardi & Giuseppe Nocella & Sarah Cardey, 2018. "A Multi-Actor Literature Review on Alternative and Sustainable Food Systems for the Promotion of Cereal Biodiversity," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-29, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:8:y:2018:i:11:p:173-:d:180121
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/8/11/173/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/8/11/173/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cristina Connolly & H. Allen Klaiber, 2014. "Does Organic Command a Premium When the Food is Already Local?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 96(4), pages 1102-1116.
    2. C. Hinrichs, 2014. "Transitions to sustainability: a change in thinking about food systems change?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(1), pages 143-155, March.
    3. Sarah Bowen & Tad Mutersbaugh, 2014. "Local or localized? Exploring the contributions of Franco-Mediterranean agrifood theory to alternative food research," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(2), pages 201-213, June.
    4. Stefano Pogutz & Monika I. Winn, 2016. "Cultivating Ecological Knowledge for Corporate Sustainability: Barilla's Innovative Approach to Sustainable Farming," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 435-448, September.
    5. Brian Obach & Kathleen Tobin, 2014. "Civic agriculture and community engagement," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(2), pages 307-322, June.
    6. Martin S. Wolfe, 2000. "Crop strength through diversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 406(6797), pages 681-682, August.
    7. Stefani, Gianluca & Tiberti, Marco & Virginia Lombardi, Ginevra & Cei, Leonardo & Sacchi, Giovanna, 2017. "Public Food Procurement: A Systematic Literature Review," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 8(4), October.
    8. 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.
    9. Koutsouris, Alex, 2012. "Facilitating Agricultural Innovation Systems: A critical realist approach," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 114(2), pages 1-7, October.
    10. Geels, Frank W., 2002. "Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8-9), pages 1257-1274, December.
    11. Bardsley, Douglas K. & Bardsley, Annette M., 2014. "Organising for socio-ecological resilience: The roles of the mountain farmer cooperative Genossenschaft Gran Alpin in Graubünden, Switzerland," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 11-21.
    12. M.J. Suso & R. Bocci & Veronique Chable, 2013. "La diversidad, una herramienta poderosa para el desarrollo de una agricultura de bajos-insumos," Post-Print hal-01210060, HAL.
    13. Sundkvist, Asa & Jansson, AnnMari & Larsson, Pia, 2001. "Strengths and limitations of localizing food production as a sustainability-building strategy -- an analysis of bread production on the island of Gotland, Sweden," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 217-227, May.
    14. Magrini, Marie-Benoit & Anton, Marc & Cholez, Célia & Corre-Hellou, Guenaelle & Duc, Gérard & Jeuffroy, Marie-Hélène & Meynard, Jean-Marc & Pelzer, Elise & Voisin, Anne-Sophie & Walrand, Stéphane, 2016. "Why are grain-legumes rarely present in cropping systems despite their environmental and nutritional benefits? Analyzing lock-in in the French agrifood system," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 152-162.
    15. Emanuela Leoncini & Cecilia Prata & Marco Malaguti & Ilaria Marotti & Antonio Segura-Carretero & Pietro Catizone & Giovanni Dinelli & Silvana Hrelia, 2012. "Phytochemical Profile and Nutraceutical Value of Old and Modern Common Wheat Cultivars," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-13, September.
    16. Alison Blay-Palmer & Roberta Sonnino & Julien Custot, 2016. "A food politics of the possible? Growing sustainable food systems through networks of knowledge," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(1), pages 27-43, March.
    17. Henk Renting & Terry K Marsden & Jo Banks, 2003. "Understanding Alternative Food Networks: Exploring the Role of Short Food Supply Chains in Rural Development," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 35(3), pages 393-411, March.
    18. Dogliotti, S. & García, M.C. & Peluffo, S. & Dieste, J.P. & Pedemonte, A.J. & Bacigalupe, G.F. & Scarlato, M. & Alliaume, F. & Alvarez, J. & Chiappe, M. & Rossing, W.A.H., 2014. "Co-innovation of family farm systems: A systems approach to sustainable agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 76-86.
    19. Diana Mincyte & Karin Dobernig, 2016. "Urban farming in the North American metropolis: Rethinking work and distance in alternative food networks," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(9), pages 1767-1786, September.
    20. Harrison, R. Wes, 2013. "R. Wes Harrison," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 45, pages 1-2, August.
    21. Rylea Johnson & Evan D. G. Fraser & Roberta Hawkins, 2016. "Overcoming Barriers to Scaling Up Sustainable Alternative Food Systems: A Comparative Case Study of Two Ontario-Based Wholesale Produce Auctions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-16, April.
    22. Coomes, Oliver T. & McGuire, Shawn J. & Garine, Eric & Caillon, Sophie & McKey, Doyle & Demeulenaere, Elise & Jarvis, Devra & Aistara, Guntra & Barnaud, Adeline & Clouvel, Pascal & Emperaire, Laure & , 2015. "Farmer seed networks make a limited contribution to agriculture? Four common misconceptions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 41-50.
    23. Laura Milani Marin & Vincenzo Russo, 2016. "Re-localizing ‘legal’ food: a social psychology perspective on community resilience, individual empowerment and citizen adaptations in food consumption in Southern Italy," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(1), pages 179-190, March.
    24. 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.
    25. Salazar, Rene & Louwaars, Niels P. & Visser, Bert, 2007. "Protecting Farmers' New Varieties: New Approaches to Rights on Collective Innovations in Plant Genetic Resources," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1515-1528, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ambrogio Costanzo & Dominic C. Amos & Giovanni Dinelli & Rocco E. Sferrazza & Giacomo Accorsi & Lorenzo Negri & Sara Bosi, 2019. "Performance and Nutritional Properties of Einkorn, Emmer and Rivet Wheat in Response to Different Rotational Position and Soil Tillage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Gianluca Stefani & Giuseppe Nocella & Giovanna Sacchi, 2020. "Piloting a Meta-Database of Agroecological Transitions: An Example from Sustainable Cereal Food Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, June.
    3. Riccardo Testa & Antonio Asciuto & Giorgio Schifani & Emanuele Schimmenti & Giuseppina Migliore, 2019. "Quality Determinants and Effect of Therapeutic Properties in Honey Consumption. An Exploratory Study on Italian Consumers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Adamashvili Nino & Fiore Mariantonietta & Contò Francesco & La Sala Piermichele, 2020. "Ecosystem for Successful Agriculture. Collaborative Approach as a Driver for Agricultural Development," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 12(2), pages 242-256, June.

    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. Gianluca Stefani & Giuseppe Nocella & Giovanna Sacchi, 2020. "Piloting a Meta-Database of Agroecological Transitions: An Example from Sustainable Cereal Food Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, June.
    2. William Lacy, 2023. "Local food systems, citizen and public science, empowered communities, and democracy: hopes deserving to live," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Chantal Gascuel & Michèle Tixier-Boichard & Benoit Dedieu & Cécile Détang-Dessendre & Pierre Dupraz & Philippe Faverdin & Laurent Hazard & Philippe Hinsinger & Isabelle Litrico-Chiarelli & Françoise M, 2019. "Réflexion prospective interdisciplinaire pour l’agroécologie. Rapport de synthèse," Post-Print hal-02154433, HAL.
    4. 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.
    5. Kuhmonen, Tuomas, 2017. "Exposing the attractors of evolving complex adaptive systems by utilising futures images: Milestones of the food sustainability journey," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 214-225.
    6. Hannah Pitt & Mat Jones, 2016. "Scaling up and out as a Pathway for Food System Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Xiangping Jia, 2021. "Agro-Food Innovation and Sustainability Transition: A Conceptual Synthesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-24, June.
    8. Leticia Canal Vieira & Silvia Serrao-Neumann & Michael Howes, 2019. "Local Action with a Global Vision: The Transformative Potential of Food Social Enterprises in Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-16, November.
    9. Virginie Baritaux & Carole Chazoule, 2019. "Legitimacy Of Terminal Wholesale Markets As Stakeholders Of Local Food Chains," Post-Print hal-03122989, HAL.
    10. Sylvain, Dernat & Bertrand, Dumont & Dominique, Vollet, 2023. "La Grange®: A generic game to reveal trade-offs and synergies among stakeholders in livestock farming areas," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    11. 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.
    12. Pigford, Ashlee-Ann E. & Hickey, Gordon M. & Klerkx, Laurens, 2018. "Beyond agricultural innovation systems? Exploring an agricultural innovation ecosystems approach for niche design and development in sustainability transitions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 116-121.
    13. Mamen Cuéllar-Padilla & Ernesto Ganuza-Fernandez, 2018. "We Don’t Want to Be Officially Certified! Reasons and Implications of the Participatory Guarantee Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-15, April.
    14. 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.
    15. Pingyang Liu & Paul Gilchrist & Becky Taylor & Neil Ravenscroft, 2017. "The spaces and times of community farming," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(2), pages 363-375, June.
    16. Sibylle Bui & Ionara Costa & Olivier De Schutter & Tom Dedeurwaerdere & Marek Hudon & Marlene Feyereisen, 2019. "Systemic ethics and inclusive governance: two key prerequisites for sustainability transitions of agri-food systems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 277-288, June.
    17. Fabíola Sostmeyer Polita & Lívia Madureira, 2021. "Transition Pathways of Agroecological Innovation in Portugal’s Douro Wine Region. A Multi-Level Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, March.
    18. Adanella Rossi, 2017. "Beyond Food Provisioning: The Transformative Potential of Grassroots Innovation around Food," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
    19. François Lohest & Tom Bauler & Solène Sureau & Joris Van Mol & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2019. "Linking Food Democracy and Sustainability on the Ground: Learnings from the Study of Three Alternative Food Networks in Brussels," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 21-31.
    20. 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.

    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:gam:jagris:v:8:y:2018:i:11:p:173-:d:180121. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.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.