IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/ifaamr/316364.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quantifying differences in alternative food network supply chain activities and their relationship with socio-economic outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Hunter, Erik
  • Norrman, Andreas
  • Berg, Eva

Abstract

Alternative food networks (AFNs) have the potential to enhance and redistribute value in favour of producers and consumers through novel ways of organizing supply chain activities. What is more, AFNs are often characterized by their ‘sustainability promise’ – or the idea that their networks foster social, ecological or environmental improvements over conventional food networks. Based on a purposive sample of 286 producers across five Swedish AFNs (i.e. community supported agriculture, REKO-rings, farmers’ markets, farm stores and food nodes), we explore how differences in how supply chain activities are managed and relate them to profitability, fair wages, cooperation, logistics efforts, happiness and future beliefs. Using a combination of correlation analysis, linear regression and means comparisons, we challenge the notion that AFNs achieve their sustainability promise or enhance value through novel combinations of supply chain activities. Our findings include several key differences in how supply chain management (SCM) activities are organized across AFNs and their variant importance for profitability. Moreover, we find significant differences in happiness across AFNs that are better explained through beliefs about the future than profitability or fair wages. By exploring happiness and profitability, we offer insights into why some AFN actors thrive despite poor economic returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Hunter, Erik & Norrman, Andreas & Berg, Eva, 2021. "Quantifying differences in alternative food network supply chain activities and their relationship with socio-economic outcomes," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 25(1), July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ifaamr:316364
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.316364
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/316364/files/ifamr2020.0193.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.316364?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. Gardner, Jonathan & Andrew Oswald, 2002. "Does Money Buy Happiness? A Longitudinal Study Using Data on Windfalls," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2002 81, Royal Economic Society.
    2. Cheryl Brown & Stacy Miller, 2008. "The Impacts of Local Markets: A Review of Research on Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1298-1302.
    3. Vladimir Todorovic & Marinko Maslaric & Sanja Bojic & Maja Jokic & Dejan Mircetic & Svetlana Nikolicic, 2018. "Solutions for More Sustainable Distribution in the Short Food Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-27, September.
    4. 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.
    5. A. D. Basiago, 1998. "Economic, social, and environmental sustainability in development theory and urban planning practice," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 145-161, June.
    6. Hayley H. Chouinard & Tobias Paterson & Philip R. Wandschneider & Adrienne M. Ohler, 2008. "Will Farmers Trade Profits for Stewardship? Heterogeneous Motivations for Farm Practice Selection," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 84(1), pages 66-82.
    7. Brian Ilbery & Damian Maye, 2005. "Alternative (Shorter) Food Supply Chains and Specialist Livestock Products in the Scottish–English Borders," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(5), pages 823-844, May.
    8. Bourlakis, Michael & Maglaras, George & Aktas, Emel & Gallear, David & Fotopoulos, Christos, 2014. "Firm size and sustainable performance in food supply chains: Insights from Greek SMEs," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 112-130.
    9. David Blanchflower & Andrew Oswald, 1992. "Entrepreneurship, Happiness and Supernormal Returns: Evidence from Britain and the US," NBER Working Papers 4228, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. A. W. Shaw, 1912. "Some Problems in Market Distribution," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 26(4), pages 703-765.
    11. Gabriel Hawawini & Venkat Subramanian & Paul Verdin, 2003. "Is performance driven by industry‐or firm‐specific factors? A new look at the evidence," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-16, January.
    12. Giaime Berti & Catherine Mulligan, 2016. "Competitiveness of Small Farms and Innovative Food Supply Chains: The Role of Food Hubs in Creating Sustainable Regional and Local Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-31, July.
    13. Craig R. Carter & Dale S. Rogers & Thomas Y. Choi, 2015. "Toward the Theory of the Supply Chain," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 51(2), pages 89-97, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Agata Malak-Rawlikowska & Edward Majewski & Adam Wąs & Svein Ole Borgen & Peter Csillag & Michele Donati & Richard Freeman & Viet Hoàng & Jean-Loup Lecoeur & Maria Cecilia Mancini & An Nguyen & Monia , 2019. "Measuring the Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability of Short Food Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-23, July.
    2. Aubert, Magali & Enjoylras, Geoffroy, 2016. "Analyse financière des exploitations fruitières et maraîchères françaises qui vendent au détail," Économie rurale, French Society of Rural Economics (SFER Société Française d'Economie Rurale), vol. 356(November-).
    3. Shashi & Rajwinder Singh & Piera Centobelli & Roberto Cerchione, 2018. "Evaluating Partnerships in Sustainability-Oriented Food Supply Chain: A Five-Stage Performance Measurement Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Meng Wang & Vikas Kumar & Ximing Ruan & Mohammed Saad & Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes & Anil Kumar, 2022. "Sustainability concerns on consumers’ attitude towards short food supply chains: an empirical investigation," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 76-92, June.
    5. Eduardo Malagon-Zaldua & Mirene Begiristain-Zubillaga & Aintzira Onederra-Aramendi, 2018. "Measuring the Economic Impact of Farmers’ Markets on Local Economies in the Basque Country," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, January.
    6. John J. Hyland & Áine Macken-Walsh, 2022. "Multi-Actor Social Networks: A Social Practice Approach to Understanding Food Hubs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-19, February.
    7. Marilyn Sitaker & Jane Kolodinsky & Weiwei Wang & Lisa C. Chase & Julia Van Soelen Kim & Diane Smith & Hans Estrin & Zoe Van Vlaanderen & Lauren Greco, 2020. "Evaluation of Farm Fresh Food Boxes: A Hybrid Alternative Food Network Market Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-25, December.
    8. Carolina Yacamán Ochoa & Alberto Matarán & Rafael Mata Olmo & Jose María López & Rafael Fuentes-Guerra, 2019. "The Potential Role of Short Food Supply Chains in Strengthening Periurban Agriculture in Spain: The Cases of Madrid and Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Salvatore Ammirato & Alberto Michele Felicetti & Massimiliano Ferrara & Cinzia Raso & Antonio Violi, 2021. "Collaborative Organization Models for Sustainable Development in the Agri-Food Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, February.
    10. Aubert, Magali & Enjolras, Geoffroy, 2016. "Which stability for marketing channels? The case of short food supply chains in French agriculture," 149th Seminar, October 27-28, 2016, Rennes, France 244895, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Zsófia Benedek & Imre Fertő & Viktória Szente, 2020. "The Multiplier Effects of Food Relocalization: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, April.
    12. Giannis T. Tsoulfas & Panagiotis Trivellas & Panagiotis Reklitis & Anna Anastasopoulou, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Short Supply Chains in the Agri-Food Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-46, January.
    13. Valeria Borsellino & Emanuele Schimmenti & Hamid El Bilali, 2020. "Agri-Food Markets towards Sustainable Patterns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-35, March.
    14. Anuj Mittal & Caroline C. Krejci & Teri J. Craven, 2018. "Logistics Best Practices for Regional Food Systems: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-44, January.
    15. Javier Sanz-Cañada & José Luis Sánchez-Hernández & Daniel López-García, 2023. "Reflecting on the Concept of Local Agroecological Food Systems," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-22, May.
    16. Stevens Azima & Patrick Mundler, 2022. "Does direct farm marketing fulfill its promises? analyzing job satisfaction among direct-market farmers in Canada," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 791-807, June.
    17. Zinette Bergman & Manfred Max Bergman, 2022. "Toward Sustainable Communities: A Case Study of the Eastern Market in Detroit," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-14, April.
    18. Aintzira Oñederra-Aramendi & Mirene Begiristain-Zubillaga & Mamen Cuellar-Padilla, 2023. "Characterisation of food governance for alternative and sustainable food systems: a systematic review," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-32, December.
    19. Konrád Kiss & Csaba Ruszkai & Katalin Takács-György, 2019. "Examination of Short Supply Chains Based on Circular Economy and Sustainability Aspects," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-21, September.
    20. Magali Aubert & Geoffroy Enjolras, 2015. "Stabilité ou instabilité des stratégies commerciales ? Le cas des circuits courts dans l'agriculture française," Post-Print hal-01296421, HAL.

    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:ags:ifaamr:316364. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifamaea.html .

    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.