The impact of COVID-19 on alternative and local food systems and the potential for the sustainability transition: Insights from 13 countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major stress test for the agri-food system. While most research has analysed the impact of the pandemic on mainstream food systems, this article examines how alternative and local food systems (ALFS) in 13 countries responded in the first months of the crisis. Using primary and secondary data and combining the Multi-Level Perspective with social innovation approaches, we highlight the innovations and adaptations that emerged in ALFS, and how these changes have created or supported the sustainability transition in production and consumption systems. In particular, we show how the combination of social and technological innovation, greater citizen involvement, and the increased interest of policy-makers and retailers have enabled ALFS to extend their scope and engage new actors in more sustainable practices. Finally, we make recommendations concerning how to support ALFS’ upscaling to embrace the opportunities arising from the crisis and strengthen the sustainability transition.EEA BalcarceFil: Nemes, Gusztáv. Centre for Economic and Regional Studies (KRTK); Hungría.Fil: Chiffoleau, Yuna. Institut National de la Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE); Francia.Fil: Zollet, Simona. Hiroshima University; Japón.Fil: Collison, Martin. Collison and Associates Limited; Estados Unidos.Fil: Benedek, Zsófia. Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Hungría.Fil: Colantuono, Fedele. University of Foggia. Department of Economics; Italia.Fil: Dulsrud, Arne. SIFO Oslo Metropolitan University; Noruega.Fil: Fiore, Mariantonietta. University of Foggia. Department of Economics; Italia.Fil: Holtkamp, Carolin. University of Innsbruck. Department of Sociology; Austria.Fil: Tae-Yeon Kim. Dankook; Corea del Sur.Fil: Korzun, Monika. University of Guelph. School of Environmental Design and Rural Development; Canadá.Fil: Mesa-Manzano, Rafael. Universidad de Valencia. Instituto Interuniversitario de Desarrollo Local, España.Fil: Reckinger, Rachel. University of Luxembourg. Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences; Luxemburgo.Fil: Ruiz Martínez, Irune. Universidad de Valencia. Instituto Interuniversitario de Desarrollo Local, España.Fil: Smith, Kiah. The University of Queensland. School of Social Science; Australia.Fil: Tamura, Norie. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature; Japón.Fil: Viteri, María Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina.Fil: Viteri, María Laura. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Argentina.Fil: Orbán, Éva. Centre for Economic and Regional Studies; Hungría

Sustainable agriculture: Recognizing the potential of conflict as a positive driver for transformative change

Transformative changes in agriculture at multiple scales are needed to ensure sustainability, i.e. achieving food security while fostering social justice and environmental integrity. These transformations go beyond technological fixes and require fundamental changes in cognitive, relational, structural and functional aspects of agricultural systems. However, research on agricultural transformations fails to engage deeply with underlying social aspects such as differing perceptions of sustainability, uncertainties and ambiguities, politics of knowledge, power imbalances and deficits in democracy. In this paper, we suggest that conflict is one manifestation of such underlying social aspects. We present an original conceptualization and analytical framework, wherein conflict is recognized as an important motor for redistribution of power and leverage for social learning that—if addressed through a conflict transformation process—could potentially create a step-change in agricultural transformation towards greater sustainability. Our analysis, building on an extensive literature review and empirical case studies from around the world, suggests a novel approach to guide future transdisciplinary research that can support agricultural transformations towards sustainability

Paving a Way towards Food Democratisation: Mechanisms in Contentious Niche Development

Transition scholars have argued that the analysis of the agency of local civil society actors in their political struggle to transform the food system is necessary. In response, we complement the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions with the mechanism-process approach of contentious politics. This framework guides our qualitative analysis of a local movement called “The Way of Mals” in South Tyrol, Italy. This movement aimed to ban pesticides by developing a niche of food democratisation. We investigate how the local movement strategically mobilised citizens to get actively engaged in the local governance of food. We argue that the creation of political opportunities by the movement was crucial for their claim making. Amongst others, they introduced a legally binding local referendum on the ban on chemical–synthetic pesticides. We call this mechanism “paving”. In combination with meaning-making and networking, paving has led to the democratisation of local food governance. We conclude that the agency of local movements is especially reflected in their capacity to readjust in response to suppression efforts of their opponents in the well-established conventional regime. We suggest comparisons with similar cases for future research

Paving a Way towards Food Democratisation: Mechanisms in Contentious Niche Development

Transition scholars have argued that the analysis of the agency of local civil society actors in their political struggle to transform the food system is necessary. In response, we complement the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions with the mechanism-process approach of contentious politics. This framework guides our qualitative analysis of a local movement called “The Way of Mals” in South Tyrol, Italy. This movement aimed to ban pesticides by developing a niche of food democratisation. We investigate how the local movement strategically mobilised citizens to get actively engaged in the local governance of food. We argue that the creation of political opportunities by the movement was crucial for their claim making. Amongst others, they introduced a legally binding local referendum on the ban on chemical–synthetic pesticides. We call this mechanism “paving”. In combination with meaning-making and networking, paving has led to the democratisation of local food governance. We conclude that the agency of local movements is especially reflected in their capacity to readjust in response to suppression efforts of their opponents in the well-established conventional regime. We suggest comparisons with similar cases for future research

The impact of COVID-19 on alternative and local food systems and the potential for the sustainability transition: Insights from 13 countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major stress test for the agri-food system. While most research has analysed the impact of the pandemic on mainstream food systems, this article examines how alternative and local food systems (ALFS) in 13 countries responded in the first months of the crisis. Using primary and secondary data and combining the Multi-Level Perspective with social innovation approaches, we highlight the innovations and adaptations that emerged in ALFS, and how these changes have created or supported the sustainability transition in production and consumption systems. In particular, we show how the combination of social and technological innovation, greater citizen involvement, and the increased interest of policy-makers and retailers have enabled ALFS to extend their scope and engage new actors in more sustainable practices. Finally, we make recommendations concerning how to support ALFS’ upscaling to embrace the opportunities arising from the crisis and strengthen the sustainability transition