Sustainable models of Agri-food supply chain offering fair prices to consumers and reasonable profit to producers

​Pòster presentat al PhD Day at CBL el 2 de juny de 2023Agri-food supply chains (AFSC) are at a turning point. Urbanization has separated consumers from producers, industrialisation has increased agricultural production, and globalization has internationalised value chains (Russo, 2020). In this scenario, AFSCs face several challenges: maintenance of local production systems, adaptation to climate change, market access for small farmers, and food security (Miranda et al., 2021). The top goals for research institutions and governmental organizations must be increasing the sustainability of AFSCs and empowering small-scale farmers.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsable

Preferences analysis of restaurants, industry and retailers for selecting fruits and vegetables suppliers in Spain, France and Morocco

This study focuses on evaluating the criteria used by stakeholders (restaurants, industry, and small-scale retailers) to select fruits and vegetable suppliers in Spain, France, and Morocco targeting three selected countries’ specific products and supply chains (fresh tomatoes in Spain, Chestnuts in France, Carob in Morocco). The research consisted firstly of conducting deep interviews (DI) with the main stakeholders in the added-value chain of fruits and vegetables in order to understand factors affecting their decision when selecting suppliers. A special interest was drawn on the criteria “produced by local farmers” in order to determine its relative importance within the stakeholder’s decision-making. Secondly, semi-structured questionnaires were carried out by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to estimate the relative importance of each criterion and to evaluate the weight of the sustainable factors. Data were collected from stakeholders in the food-added value chain with a total sample, equally distributed across countries, of 180 restaurants, 30 industries, and 180 small-scale retailers. The survey was applied during the months of May to October 2022. Research results revealed the most important supplier selection attributes vary according to each country and product category. The role of sustainable criteria in selecting suppliers played an important role in particular in France. Local small farmers were important for local industry as sustainable suppliers but less relevant for restaurants and retailers respectively. Improving the sustainability of the supply chain should focus more on retailers and restaurant marketing strategies when purchasing fruits and vegetables in order to set quotas for locally produced products. This outcome highlights the need for a new and optimized business model in which small local farmers can directly supply local restaurants and retailers and contribute to improving sustainability and ensuring reasonable profit for farmers.This study belongs to the project Lab4Supply “Multi-agent Agri-food living labs for new supply chain Mediterranean systems. Towards more sustainable and competitive farming addressing consumers’ preferences and market changes”. Lab4supply received funding from the European Union under PRIMA-S.2 programme (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) and approved by the National Agencies in Spain “Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)”, in Morroco “Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche Scientifique et de l’Innovation (MESRSFC)” and in France “Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)”. The content of this study reflects only the author’s view and the European Union Agency and national agencies involved are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesPostprint (published version

Assessing farmers’ objectives to participate in short food supply chains in Spain, France And Morocco

The promotion of Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) is an issue that is becoming more relevant to both the public and research agenda, aiming to build more sustainable agri-food supply chains and empower smallholder farmers. This research aims to determine the willingness of small farmers to adopt SFSCs as an alternative to conventional distribution. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology was used to assess farmers’ objectives of their agricultural activity in Spain, France, and Morocco. For the selection of objectives, deep interviews (DI) and a literature review were carried out. Data were collected from a total of 180 farmers carried out between May and October 2022. Results showed that regardless of the stated interest of farmers in promoting SFSCs, the production-related objectives, especially “Increase productivity” and “Invest in knowledge and machinery”, received the highest priority to distribution-related objectives. Moreover, objectives concerning social responsibility received the lowest relative importance, while environmental preservation concerns outweighed social objectives (especially in the French case). The economic performance of the farm plays a decisive role in the farmers' decision-making as expected in the three cases of the study analyzed. This is important when exploring mechanisms to incentivize farmers to adopt SFSCs where economic sustainability and efficiency are needed. More research is needed to determine the relationship between the choice of supply chain alternatives and the objectives of the farming activity. This knowledge may help in providing alternatives and adapted solutions that are more sustainable regarding farmer’s preferences.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesPostprint (published version

Mercat Social versus Mercat Global. La Modificació del Pla General Metropolità 22@2020 com a oportunitat de promoure l'Economia Social i Solidària al Poblenou

La recent modificació del Pla 22@ (2020) inclou la promoció de l'Economia Social i Solidària (ESS) a aquesta zona del Poblenou (Barcelona), però no en concreta les mesures per a efectuar-la. En conseqüència, ens preguntem sobre la realitat de l'ESS al Poblenou i les polítiques que l'administració ha de desenvolupar per a garantir-hi la seva presència. Aquesta recerca comprèn un estudi quantitatiu per a determinar les característiques i evolució del cooperativisme al Poblenou i un estudi qualitatiu per a explicar la relació amb el territori de les iniciatives d'ESS mitjançant la realització d'entrevistes a una mostra intencional. En conclusió, afirmem que el 22@ és incompatible amb l'ESS degut al preu del sòl, la normativa d'activitats i el model urbà que genera, i proposem mesures polítiques i urbanístiques dirigides a enfortir la intercooperació i la facilitació d'espais a l'ESS. Amb aquesta recerca contribuïm al debat sobre el desenvolupament local, aportem pautes d'actuació per a construir un Mercat Social al Poblenou i proposem futures línies de treball per a aprofundir en el paper de l'ESS en el desenvolupament urbà i escalar la investigació a l'àmbit metropolità.La recent modificació del Pla 22@ (2020) inclou la promoció de l'Economia Social i Solidària (ESS) a aquesta zona del Poblenou (Barcelona), però no en concreta les mesures per a efectuar-la. En conseqüència, ens preguntem sobre la realitat de l'ESS al Poblenou i les polítiques que l'administració ha de desenvolupar per a garantir-hi la seva presència. Aquesta recerca comprèn un estudi quantitatiu per a determinar les característiques i evolució del cooperativisme al Poblenou i un estudi qualitatiu per a explicar la relació amb el territori de les iniciatives d'ESS mitjançant la realització d'entrevistes a una mostra intencional. En conclusió, afirmem que el 22@ és incompatible amb l'ESS degut al preu del sòl, la normativa d'activitats i el model urbà que genera, i proposem mesures polítiques i urbanístiques dirigides a enfortir la intercooperació i la facilitació d'espais a l'ESS. Amb aquesta recerca contribuïm al debat sobre el desenvolupament local, aportem pautes d'actuació per a construir un Mercat Social alPoblenou i proposem futures línies de treball per a aprofundir en el paper de l'ESS en el desenvolupament urbà i escalar la investigació a l'àmbit metropolità