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How Social Enterprises Contribute to Alternative Food Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Anastasia COSTANTINI

    (Diesis (Belgium))

  • Gianluca PASTORELLI

    (Diesis (Belgium))

  • Alessia SEBILLO

    (Diesis (Belgium))

Abstract

The dominant trend is an increasing separation between the land and the food products, as well as the extension of the food chain: the increasing distance between places of production and places of consumption breaks the links with nature and culture. Social economy enterprises are able to develop innovative solutions that increase productivity while delivering better services in social, health, and education services. Their contribution to economic development and well-being has been confirmed by the recent economic crisis, which has highlighted the resilience of social economy and social enterprises as well as their capacity to generate new employment and preserve existing jobs. What does it mean for a social economy enterprise to take food into account? The paper contributes to this branch of studies with the aim of understanding how social enterprises are able to generate alternative food systems to promote food sovereignty and sustainability. Firstly, a review of the relevant literature is presented, with the aim of showing an overview of the relationship between social economy enterprises and sustainable development with a specific focus on sustainable food. Following this, after a description of the methodology employed, the experiences of a number of social enterprises of food sector among Europe that have implemented innovative projects involving sustainability and counteracting the desertification of rural areas, women’s employment, migrant integration, decent job conditions and work integration. This leads to a discussion of the results, the interpretation of the new roles of social enterprises, and the identification of the main implications. The main thing that links all these cases is five key elements, which are present in all the experiences we analysed: inclusion, equity, respect, responsibility and opportunity. These elements can be seen as keywords and important aspects for a transition towards more sustainable food systems through social economy enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Anastasia COSTANTINI & Gianluca PASTORELLI & Alessia SEBILLO, 2019. "How Social Enterprises Contribute to Alternative Food Systems," CIRIEC Working Papers 1914, CIRIEC - Université de Liège.
    • Handle: RePEc:crc:wpaper:1914
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    File URL: https://www.ciriec.uliege.be/repec/WP19-14.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social Economy; Social Enterprise; Sustainable Food; Social Innovation; Sustainable Development; Resilience; Food Sovereignty; Rural development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • O35 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Social Innovation
    • P13 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Cooperative Enterprises
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • Q02 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Commodity Market

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