IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p5324-d551708.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Explanatory Analysis of Factors Influencing the Support for Sustainable Food Production and Distribution Systems: Results from a Rural Canadian Community

Author

Listed:
  • Sahand Ashtab

    (Shannon School of Business, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Rd., Sydney, NS B1P 6L2, Canada)

  • Robert Campbell

    (Shannon School of Business, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Rd., Sydney, NS B1P 6L2, Canada)

Abstract

Investigating the viability of alternative food networks (AFNs) is more important than before because of the disruptions in global supply chains and evolving resident composition in different regions. In this regard, this paper reports on findings of a project aimed at identifying factors influencing support for local, sustainable food production, and distribution systems. In the first phase, local residents and international students in Cape Breton, Canada, were surveyed prior to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to assess their attitudes and values relative to shopping at farmers markets and buying local. In the second phase, mid-pandemic, text mining of Twitter data was used to gauge sentiments related to these same activities. The results of our explanatory analysis suggest that the top two factors influencing decisions to buy local farm products were food attributes and supporting community economic development. In contrast to previous studies, we included an alternate sample group, namely, international students, and explored the relevance of the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer. Among our findings from the application of a logistics regression model to our survey data (N = 125) is the suggestion that the senior non-international student residents of the Cape Breton Island were more probable to be in the category of consumers whose perception of an authentic buy-local experience was limited to distribution channels that allowed for the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer.

Suggested Citation

  • Sahand Ashtab & Robert Campbell, 2021. "Explanatory Analysis of Factors Influencing the Support for Sustainable Food Production and Distribution Systems: Results from a Rural Canadian Community," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5324-:d:551708
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5324/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5324/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gumirakiza, Jean Dominique & Curtis, Kynda R. & Bosworth, Ryan C., 2014. "Who Attends Farmers’ Markets and Why? Understanding Consumers and their Motivations," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 17(2), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Dawn Thilmany & Craig A. Bond & Jennifer K. Bond, 2008. "Going Local: Exploring Consumer Behavior and Motivations for Direct Food Purchases," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1303-1309.
    3. Theresa Selfa & Joan Qazi, 2005. "Place, Taste, or Face-to-Face? Understanding Producer–Consumer Networks in “Local” Food Systems in Washington State," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(4), pages 451-464, December.
    4. Zepeda, Lydia & Li, Jinghan, 2006. "Who Buys Local Food?," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 37(3), pages 1-11, November.
    5. Lydia Zepeda & Cong Nie, 2012. "What are the odds of being an organic or local food shopper? Multivariate analysis of US food shopper lifestyle segments," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(4), pages 467-480, December.
    6. Onianwa, Okwudili O. & Wheelock, Gerald & Mojica, Maribel N., 2005. "An Analysis of the Determinants of Farmer-to-Consumer Direct-Market Shoppers," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 36(1), pages 1-5, March.
    7. Myriam Kessari & Cédrine Joly & Annabelle Jaouen & Mélanie Jaeck, 2020. "Alternative food networks: good practices for sustainable performance," Post-Print hal-03001966, HAL.
    8. Gabriel April-Lalonde & Sara Latorre & Myriam Paredes & María Fernanda Hurtado & Fabián Muñoz & Ana Deaconu & Donald C. Cole & Malek Batal, 2020. "Characteristics and Motivations of Consumers of Direct Purchasing Channels and the Perceived Barriers to Alternative Food Purchase: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Ecuadorian Andes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, August.
    9. Sebastian Jarzębowski & Michael Bourlakis & Agnieszka Bezat-Jarzębowska, 2020. "Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) as Local and Sustainable Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-13, June.
    10. Francesca Galli & Fabio Bartolini & Gianluca Brunori & Luca Colombo & Oriana Gava & Stefano Grando & Andrea Marescotti, 2015. "Sustainability assessment of food supply chains: an application to local and global bread in Italy," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Sahand Ashtab & Yang Xing & Cheng Zheng, 2021. "Exploring Constituents of Short Food Supply Chains," Chapters, in: Antonella Petrillo & Fabio De Felice & Germano Lambert-Torres & Erik Leandro Bonaldi (ed.), Operations Management - Emerging Trend in the Digital Era, IntechOpen.
    12. T. Besser & C. Jurt & S. Mann, 2017. "Agricultural structure and farmers’ interconnections with rural communities," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 44(3), pages 362-376, March.
    13. Emanuele Blasi & Clara Cicatiello & Barbara Pancino & Silvio Franco, 2015. "Alternative food chains as a way to embed mountain agriculture in the urban market: the case of Trentino," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Yuko Onozaka & Dawn Thilmany Mcfadden, 2011. "Does Local Labeling Complement or Compete with Other Sustainable Labels? A Conjoint Analysis of Direct and Joint Values for Fresh Produce Claim," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 93(3), pages 689-702.
    15. Onianwa, Odili & Mojica, Maribel N. & Wheelock, Gerald, 2006. "Consumer Characteristics and Views Regarding Farmers Markets: An Examination of On-Site Survey Data of Alabama Consumers," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 37(1), pages 1-7, March.
    16. Wolf, Marianne McGarry & Spittler, Arianne & Ahern, James, 2005. "A Profile of Farmers' Market Consumers and the Perceived Advantages of Produce Sold at Farmers' Markets," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 36(1), pages 1-10, March.
    17. Sttefanie Yenitza Escobar-López & Santiago Amaya-Corchuelo & Angélica Espinoza-Ortega, 2021. "Alternative Food Networks: Perceptions in Short Food Supply Chains in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-16, February.
    18. Catherine Brinkley, 2018. "The Small World of the Alternative Food Network," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    19. Jablonski, Becca B.R. & Schmit, Todd M. & Minner, Jennifer & Kay, David, 2016. "Rural Wealth Creation Impacts of Urbanbased Local Food System Initiatives: A Delphi Method Examination of the Impacts on Intellectual Capital," Working Papers 250033, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    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. Nuno Baptista & Helena Alves & Nelson Matos, 2022. "Scoping Challenges and Opportunities Presented by COVID-19 for the Development of Sustainable Short Food Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-22, November.
    2. Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & Andrea Appolloni & Mohammad Iranmanesh & Horst Treiblmaier & Sandeep Jagtap, 2022. "Exploring Food Supply Chain Trends in the COVID-19 Era: A Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-33, September.
    3. Bilgesu Bayir & Aurélie Charles & Aicha Sekhari & Yacine Ouzrout, 2022. "Issues and Challenges in Short Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Török, Áron & Maró, Zalán Márk & Czine, Péter & Jámbor, Zsófia & Maró, Gréta, 2024. "A termelői piacok fogyasztói profiljának szakirodalom-elemzése [The consumer profile of producer markets: an analysis of the literature]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(3), pages 255-274.

    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. Stewart, Hayden & Dong, Diansheng, 2018. "How strong is the demand for food through direct-to-consumer outlets?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 35-43.
    2. Elisa Giampietri & Dieter B. A. Koemle & Xiaohua Yu & Adele Finco, 2016. "Consumers’ Sense of Farmers’ Markets: Tasting Sustainability or Just Purchasing Food?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Nicole Didero & Marco Costanigro & Becca B. R. Jablonski, 2021. "Promoting farmers market via information nudges and coupons: A randomized control trial," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(3), pages 531-549, July.
    4. Berg, Nathan & Preston, Kate L., 2017. "Willingness to pay for local food?: Consumer preferences and shopping behavior at Otago Farmers Market," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 343-361.
    5. Printezis, Iryna & Grebitus, Carola, 2018. "Marketing Channels for Local Food," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 161-171.
    6. Thapaliya, Sudha & Interis, Matthew G. & Collart, Alba J. & Walters, Lurleen & Morgan, Kimberly L., 2014. "Health Motivation for Purchasing Local Foods in the Southeastern United States," 2015 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2015, Atlanta, Georgia 196803, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    7. Jennifer Porter & David Conner & Jane Kolodinsky & Amy Trubek, 2017. "Get real: an analysis of student preference for real food," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(4), pages 921-932, December.
    8. Justin L. Schupp, 2016. "Just where does local food live? Assessing farmers’ markets in the United States," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(4), pages 827-841, December.
    9. Maples, McKenzie & Morgan, Kimberly L. & Interis, Matthew G. & Harri, Ardian, 2013. "Who Buys Food Directly from Producers in the Southeastern United States?," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(3), pages 509-518, August.
    10. Rosalia Stella Evola & Giovanni Peira & Erica Varese & Alessandro Bonadonna & Enrica Vesce, 2022. "Short Food Supply Chains in Europe: Scientific Research Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    11. Lydia Zepeda & Cong Nie, 2012. "What are the odds of being an organic or local food shopper? Multivariate analysis of US food shopper lifestyle segments," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(4), pages 467-480, December.
    12. Yuna Chiffoleau & Sarah Millet-Amrani & Arielle Canard, 2016. "From Short Food Supply Chains to Sustainable Agriculture in Urban Food Systems: Food Democracy as a Vector of Transition," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-18, October.
    13. Chao-Jung R. Chen & Tun-Hsiang Edward Yu & Rachel J. C. Fu, 2021. "Strategic Management for Community-Based Markets: From Consumers’ Perspectives and Experiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, May.
    14. Bellingham, Sarah & Velandia, Margarita & Boyer, Christopher & Hellwinckel, Chad, 2018. "Factors Influencing Tomato Prices at Tennessee Farmers' Markets," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266568, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    15. Bavorova, Miroslava & Unay-Gailhard, İlkay & Lehberger, Mira, 2016. "Who buys from farmers’ markets and farm shops: The case of Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 40(1), pages 107-114.
    16. Sara Fabbrizzi & Silvio Menghini & Nicola Marinelli, 2014. "The Short Food Supply Chain: A Concrete Example of Sustainability. A Literature Review," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(2), pages 189-206.
    17. Yeong Sheng Tey & Poppy Arsil & Mark Brindal & Chi Teen Teoh & Han Wei Lim, 2017. "Motivations Underlying Consumers’ Preference for Farmers’ Markets in Klang Valley: A Means-End Chain Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-13, October.
    18. Birch, Dawn & Memery, Juliet & De Silva Kanakaratne, Maheshan, 2018. "The mindful consumer: Balancing egoistic and altruistic motivations to purchase local food," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 221-228.
    19. Stewart, Hayden & Dong, Diansheng, 2018. "The Relationship Between Patronizing Direct-to-Consumer Outlets and a Household’s Demand for Fruits and Vegetables," Economic Research Report 276254, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    20. Irz, Xavier & Leroy, Pascal & Réquillart, Vincent & Solerb, Louis-Georges, 2015. "Farmers' Markets and Farm Shops in Germany: is the motivation to buy there the same?," 143rd Joint EAAE/AAEA Seminar, March 25-27, 2015, Naples, Italy 202721, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

    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:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5324-:d:551708. 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.