IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i5p2035-d1600710.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Characterization of Sustainable Food Initiatives: Preliminary Study

Author

Listed:
  • Sofia G. Florença

    (CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal)

  • Ana Luísa Amaral

    (ESAV—Agrarian School, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal)

  • Filipa Costa

    (CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal)

  • Raquel P. F. Guiné

    (CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal)

  • Cristina A. Costa

    (CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal)

Abstract

A sustainable food system can be described as a system that ensures economic, social, and environmental sustainability to secure food and nutrition for current and future generations. The present research aimed to identify and characterize sustainable food initiatives to understand the governance framework, the motivations, the reasons for success, the typology of actors involved, and future prospects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for seven initiatives between June and August 2024. The interviews were performed online, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The results showed that the main drivers of the initiatives relate to food, sustainability, and economic and social dimensions. Moreover, one of the reasons for the success of the initiatives is the availability and commitment of the people involved. These initiatives were created to meet local needs and promote sustainability as well as to encourage economic circularity, knowledge sharing, rural and local valorization, and waste management.

Suggested Citation

  • Sofia G. Florença & Ana Luísa Amaral & Filipa Costa & Raquel P. F. Guiné & Cristina A. Costa, 2025. "Characterization of Sustainable Food Initiatives: Preliminary Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:5:p:2035-:d:1600710
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/5/2035/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/5/2035/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ruerd Ruben & Romina Cavatassi & Leslie Lipper & Eric Smaling & Paul Winters, 2021. "Towards food systems transformation—five paradigm shifts for healthy, inclusive and sustainable food systems," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1423-1430, December.
    2. Gail Feenstra, 2002. "Creating space for sustainable food systems: Lessons from the field," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 19(2), pages 99-106, June.
    3. Thomas Macias, 2008. "Working Toward a Just, Equitable, and Local Food System: The Social Impact of Community‐Based Agriculture," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 89(5), pages 1086-1101, December.
    4. 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.
    5. Ramazan Çakmakçı & Mehmet Ali Salık & Songül Çakmakçı, 2023. "Assessment and Principles of Environmentally Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-27, May.
    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. Daniel López-García & Manuel González de Molina, 2021. "An Operational Approach to Agroecology-Based Local Agri-Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Alison Blay-Palmer & Roberta Sonnino & Julien Custot, 2016. "A food politics of the possible? Growing sustainable food systems through networks of knowledge," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(1), pages 27-43, March.
    3. Bartlett, Jannette R. & Tackie, Nii O. & Jahan, Mst Nusrat & Adu-Gyamfi, Akua & Quarcoo, Francisca A., 2015. "An Analysis of the Characteristics and Practices of Selected Alabama Small Livestock Producers: A Focus on Economics and Marketing," Professional Agricultural Workers Journal (PAWJ), Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, vol. 3(01), pages 1-25.
    4. Brent Hammer & Helen Vallianatos & Candace Nykiforuk & Laura Nieuwendyk, 2015. "Perceptions of healthy eating in four Alberta communities: a photovoice project," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(4), pages 649-662, December.
    5. Ozgul Calicioglu & Alessandro Flammini & Stefania Bracco & Lorenzo Bellù & Ralph Sims, 2019. "The Future Challenges of Food and Agriculture: An Integrated Analysis of Trends and Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, January.
    6. Alejandro Rojas & Will Valley & Brent Mansfield & Elena Orrego & Gwen E. Chapman & Yael Harlap, 2011. "Toward Food System Sustainability through School Food System Change: Think&EatGreen@School and the Making of a Community-University Research Alliance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(5), pages 1-26, May.
    7. Antoinette Pole & Margaret Gray, 2013. "Farming alone? What’s up with the “C” in community supported agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(1), pages 85-100, March.
    8. Kirsten Schwarz & Bethany B. Cutts & Jonathan K. London & Mary L. Cadenasso, 2016. "Growing Gardens in Shrinking Cities: A Solution to the Soil Lead Problem?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-11, February.
    9. 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.
    10. Rizzo Fulvio, 2016. "Approaching Multifunctionality by a ‘Normative View’: Finnish Farmers’ Visions on Contemporary Agriculture," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 8(1), pages 16-32, March.
    11. Hazem S. Kassem & Hamed Ismail & Yomna A. Ghoneim, 2022. "Assessment of Institutional Linkages and Information Flow within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation: Case of Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-26, May.
    12. Anastasia COSTANTINI & Gianluca PASTORELLI & Alessia SEBILLO, 2019. "How Social Enterprises Contribute to Alternative Food Systems," CIRIEC Working Papers 1914, CIRIEC - Université de Liège.
    13. Jean Vasile Andrei & Mirela Panait & Alexandra Alecu, 2016. "Aproaches on Eu-28 Social Agriculture Model," International Conference on Competitiveness of Agro-food and Environmental Economy Proceedings, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 5, pages 306-314.
    14. H. Doležalová & K. Pícha & J. Navrátil, 2009. "Analysis of the organic food marketing - chain store companies (South Bohemia)," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 55(9), pages 446-458.
    15. Enthoven, Laura & Van den Broeck, Goedele, 2021. "Local food systems: Reviewing two decades of research," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    16. Fabiola Sánchez-Galván & Horacio Bautista-Santos & José Luis Martínez-Flores & Diana Sánchez-Partida & Arely del Rocio Ireta-Paredes & Gregorio Fernández-Lambert, 2019. "Backyard Agricultural Production as a Strategy for Strengthening Local Economy: The Case of Chontla and Tempoal, Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-13, September.
    17. Karla Guzmán Fernández & Ana I. Moreno-Calles & Alejandro Casas & José Blancas, 2020. "Contributions of Urban Collective Gardens to Local Sustainability in Mexico City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-23, September.
    18. Teresa Paiva & Paula Coutinho, 2023. "Meat Value Chain Contribution to Territory Sustainability—The Case of Autochthonous Bovine Jarmelista’s Breed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-16, October.
    19. Carrie Furman & Carla Roncoli & Donald Nelson & Gerrit Hoogenboom, 2014. "Growing food, growing a movement: climate adaptation and civic agriculture in the southeastern United States," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(1), pages 69-82, March.
    20. Simon Berner & Hartmut Derler & René Rehorska & Stephan Pabst & Ulrike Seebacher, 2019. "Roadmapping to Enhance Local Food Supply: Case Study of a City-Region in Austria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-16, July.

    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:17:y:2025:i:5:p:2035-:d:1600710. 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.