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Know the Farmer That Feeds You: A Cross-Country Analysis of Spatial-Relational Proximities and the Attractiveness of Community Supported Agriculture

Author

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  • Christina Gugerell

    (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria)

  • Takeshi Sato

    (Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan)

  • Christine Hvitsand

    (Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway)

  • Daichi Toriyama

    (Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan)

  • Nobuhiro Suzuki

    (Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan)

  • Marianne Penker

    (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria)

Abstract

While food production and consumption processes worldwide are characterized by geographical and social distance, alternative food networks aim to reconnect producers and consumers. Our study proposes a framework to distinguish multiple dimensions of proximity in the context of Community Supported Agriculture (a type of alternative food network) and to quantitatively evaluate them. In a principal component analysis, we aggregated various detailed proximity items from a multinational survey using principal component analysis and examined their relationship with the attractiveness of Community Supported Agriculture in a multiple regression analysis. Our findings highlight the importance of relational proximity and thus of increasing trust, collaboration, and the sharing of values and knowledge within and across organizations in the food system. Rather than focusing on spatial proximity, increasing relational proximity might support alternative food networks, such as Community Supported Agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Christina Gugerell & Takeshi Sato & Christine Hvitsand & Daichi Toriyama & Nobuhiro Suzuki & Marianne Penker, 2021. "Know the Farmer That Feeds You: A Cross-Country Analysis of Spatial-Relational Proximities and the Attractiveness of Community Supported Agriculture," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:10:p:1006-:d:656401
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. José Luis Vicente-Vicente & Cristina Quintas-Soriano & María D. López-Rodríguez, 2022. "A Transformative (r)Evolution of the Research on Agriculture through Fostering Human-Nature Connectedness—A Special Issue Editorial," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-7, April.
    4. Xufeng Li & Juanjuan Ma & Lijian Zheng & Jinping Chen & Xihuan Sun & Xianghong Guo, 2022. "Optimization of the Regulated Deficit Irrigation Strategy for Greenhouse Tomato Based on the Fuzzy Borda Model," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, February.
    5. Claudia Vaderna & Robert Home & Paola Migliorini & Dirk Roep, 2022. "Overcoming divergence: managing expectations from organisers and members in community supported agriculture in Switzerland," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Michel Mouléry & Esther Sanz Sanz & Marta Debolini & Claude Napoléone & Didier Josselin & Luc Mabire & José Luis Vicente-Vicente, 2022. "Self-Sufficiency Assessment: Defining the Foodshed Spatial Signature of Supply Chains for Beef in Avignon, France," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-14, March.

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