IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v31y1999i12p2207-2222.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Niche Markets and Regional Speciality Food Products in Europe: Towards a Research Agenda

Author

Listed:
  • B Ilbery
  • M Kneafsey

Abstract

Set within the context of recent rural restructuring in developed market economies, the authors examine the potential of niche markets for speciality food products (SFPs) to contribute towards rural development in peripheral (lagging) regions. Drawing on elements of regulation theory, actor-network approaches, and consumption studies, niche markets for SFPs are conceptualised as the outcomes of the intersecting activities of networks of producers, consumers, and institutions. On the basis of this conceptualisation and preliminary empirical evidence from a European research project, it is suggested that unique configurations of networks at local and regional levels, and their relationships to cxtralocal networks, will contribute to the success or failure of regional SFPs in promoting endogenous development. It is also argued that a focus on particular products, markets, and regions is required to gain a holistic understanding of the complex and contested network relationships through which niche markets for SFPs are constructed.

Suggested Citation

  • B Ilbery & M Kneafsey, 1999. "Niche Markets and Regional Speciality Food Products in Europe: Towards a Research Agenda," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 31(12), pages 2207-2222, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:31:y:1999:i:12:p:2207-2222
    DOI: 10.1068/a312207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a312207
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a312207?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J Murdoch, 1995. "Actor-Networks and the Evolution of Economic Forms: Combining Description and Explanation in Theories of Regulation, Flexible Specialization, and Networks," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 27(5), pages 731-757, May.
    2. Gilg, Andrew W. & Battershill, Martin, 1998. "Quality farm food in Europe: a possible alternative to the industrialised food market and to current agri-environmental policies: lessons from France," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 25-40, February.
    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. ., 2013. "Market niches, competition and economic performance: more clues from ecology?," Chapters, in: Competition, Diversity and Economic Performance, chapter 8, pages 160-182, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Tisdell, Clem & Seidl, Irmi, 2004. "Niches and economic competition: implications for economic efficiency, growth and diversity," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 119-135, June.
    3. Dimara, Efthalia & Pantzios, Christos J. & Skuras, Dimitris & Tsekouras, Kostas, 2005. "The impacts of regulated notions of quality on farm efficiency: A DEA application," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(2), pages 416-431, March.
    4. Rangnekar, Dwijen, 2004. "Demanding Stronger Protection for Geographical Indications: The Relationship between Local Knowledge, Information and Reputation," UNU-INTECH Discussion Paper Series 2004-11, United Nations University - INTECH.
    5. Jenkins, Tim & Parrott, Nick, 1999. "The socio-economic potential for peripheral rural regions of regional imagery and quality products," 67th Seminar, October 28-30, 1999, LeMans, France 241040, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

    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. Gareth Douglas Powells, 2009. "Complexity, Entanglement, and Overflow in the New Carbon Economy: The Case of the UK's Energy Efficiency Commitment," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(10), pages 2342-2356, October.
    2. Lucy Jarosz, 2000. "Understanding agri-food networks as social relations," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 17(3), pages 279-283, September.
    3. Marie Diekmann & Ludwig Theuvsen, 2019. "Value structures determining community supported agriculture: insights from Germany," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(4), pages 733-746, December.
    4. Bill Pritchard, 2000. "The Transnational Corporate Networks of Breakfast Cereals in Asia," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 32(5), pages 789-804, May.
    5. Kelly J. Hodgins & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2018. ""We are a business, not a social service agency." Barriers to widening access for low-income shoppers in alternative food market spaces," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(1), pages 149-162, March.
    6. Jon Swords, 2013. "Michael Porter’s cluster theory as a local and regional development tool: The rise and fall of cluster policy in the UK," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 28(4), pages 369-383, June.
    7. Charlie Karlsson, 2011. "Clusters, Networks and Creativity," Chapters, in: David Emanuel Andersson & Åke E. Andersson & Charlotta Mellander (ed.), Handbook of Creative Cities, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Chang, Hui-Shung (Christie) & Griffith, Garry R., 2011. "Assessing buyers' requirements for fresh produce in the formal market sector of PNG," Australasian Agribusiness Review, University of Melbourne, Department of Agriculture and Food Systems, vol. 19, pages 1-12.
    9. Ángel Raúl Ruiz Pulpón & María del Carmen Cañizares Ruiz, 2022. "Intangible Heritage and Territorial Identity in the Multifunctional Agrarian Systems of Vineyards in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-23, February.
    10. Lie, Helene & Rich, Karl M. & Kurwijila, Lusato R. & Jervell, Anne M., 2012. "Improving Smallholder Livelihoods Through Local Value Chain Development: A Case Study of Goat Milk Yogurt in Tanzania," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 15(3), pages 1-32, September.
    11. Elektra Pitoska, 2005. "Networking And Cooperation Of Small And Medium Sized Firms In Cross - Border Regions," JOURNAL STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABES-BOLYAI NEGOTIA, Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Business.
    12. Isabel Bardají & Belén Iráizoz & Manuel Rapún, 2009. "Protected geographical indications and integration into the agribusiness system," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(2), pages 198-214.
    13. Lucia Baldi & Danilo Bertoni & Giuseppina Migliore & Massimo Peri, 2019. "How alternative food networks work in a metropolitan area? An analysis of Solidarity Purchase Groups in Northern Italy," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, December.
    14. J Holloway, 1998. "‘Undercurrent Affairs’: Radical Environmentalism and Alternative News," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 30(7), pages 1197-1217, July.
    15. Dwijen Rangnekar & John Wilkinson, 2011. "(New) Borders of Consumption," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(9), pages 2007-2011, September.
    16. Hanf, J. & Belaya, V., 2009. "The „Dark“ and the „Bright“ Sides of Power in Supply Chain Networks," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 44, March.
    17. S C Cobb, 1999. "The Role of Corporate, Professional, and Personal Networks in the Provision of Offshore Financial Services," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 31(10), pages 1877-1892, October.
    18. Simon Pinnegar, 2009. "The Question of Scale in Housing-Led Regeneration: Tied to the Neighbourhood?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(12), pages 2911-2928, December.
    19. Jenkins, Tim & Parrott, Nick, 1999. "The socio-economic potential for peripheral rural regions of regional imagery and quality products," 67th Seminar, October 28-30, 1999, LeMans, France 241040, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    20. Harald Bathelt & Johannes Glückler, 2005. "Resources in Economic Geography: From Substantive Concepts towards a Relational Perspective," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(9), pages 1545-1563, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:sae:envira:v:31:y:1999:i:12:p:2207-2222. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.