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How Do Chain Governance and Fair Trade Matter? A S-LCA Methodological Proposal Applied to Food Products from Belgian Alternative Chains (Part 2)

Author

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  • Solène Sureau

    (Institute for Environnemental Management and Land-Use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • François Lohest

    (Institute for Environnemental Management and Land-Use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Joris Van Mol

    (Institute for Environnemental Management and Land-Use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Tom Bauler

    (Institute for Environnemental Management and Land-Use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Wouter M. J. Achten

    (Institute for Environnemental Management and Land-Use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

Abstract

Alternative food networks (AFNs) have emerged to improve both environmental and socio-economic aspects of food provisioning, including the living and working conditions of farmers. Their objectives are supposed to be mediated through the shortening of chains and/or the implication of alternative value chain actors (VCAs). Through the application of a social life cycle assessment methodological proposal on two products from three Belgian AFNs, we first verify how the AFNs meet sustainability promises. Second, we investigate how such social sustainability of the assessed products is influenced by the differentiated configurations of chain governance in the AFNs. Such a discussion of root causes of social sustainability performances in product chains have been investigated very little as of yet. Our results show that AFN perform well in some aspects (consumer aspects, work satisfaction, social ties between VCAs), but in some others, AFN chains use similar mechanisms as the ones used by mainstream chains (unbalanced market power, unfair prices, and low commitment between VCAs), with potentially detrimental effects on profitability and employment conditions for VCAs located upstream, i.e., farms. Our framework is useful to highlight social hotspots in product chains, and to discuss these across the differences in the configurations of the chain layout and—in the end—chain governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Solène Sureau & François Lohest & Joris Van Mol & Tom Bauler & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2019. "How Do Chain Governance and Fair Trade Matter? A S-LCA Methodological Proposal Applied to Food Products from Belgian Alternative Chains (Part 2)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-26, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:8:y:2019:i:3:p:145-:d:258258
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Solène Sureau & Sabrina S.N. Neugebauer & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Different paths in social life cycle impact assessment (S-LCIA) – a classification of Type II or impact pathways approaches," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/293437, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    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. Solène Sureau & François Lohest & Joris Van Mol & Thomas Bauler & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Participation in S-LCA: A Methodological Proposal Applied to Belgian Alternative Food Chains (Part 1)," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/293435, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Stephanie BARRIENTOS & Gary GEREFFI & Arianna ROSSI, 2011. "Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a changing world," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(3-4), pages 319-340, December.
    5. Ryan E. Galt, 2013. "The Moral Economy Is a Double-edged Sword: Explaining Farmers’ Earnings and Self-exploitation in Community-Supported Agriculture," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 89(4), pages 341-365, October.
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    1. Solène Sureau & François Lohest & Joris Van Mol & Tom Bauler & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2019. "Participation in S-LCA: A Methodological Proposal Applied to Belgian Alternative Food Chains (Part 1)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-24, September.

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