THE ROLE OF CONSUMERS IN THE TRANSITION TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SUPPLY. THE CASE OF GRUPPI DI ACQUISTO SOLIDALE (SOLIDARITY PURCHASING GROUPS) IN ITALY
This paper addresses the role of ethical consumers in the transition process towards a sustainable food supply. The questions that immediately come to mind are: can the consumers put changes in motion in the established food supply regime? Which are the mechanisms hindering a transition driven by...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics
2015-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.foodandagriculturejournal.com/vol3.no4.pp15.pdf |
| Summary: | This paper addresses the role of ethical consumers in the transition process towards a
sustainable food supply. The questions that immediately come to mind are: can the consumers put
changes in motion in the established food supply regime? Which are the mechanisms hindering a
transition driven by consumers? In order to answer to these questions we analyse the case of
Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale (Solidarity Purchasing Groups) in Italy, as a support for a broader
reflection to the topic. The growing dissatisfaction with the established food supply, dominated by
the duopoly supermarket-global food supplier, has driven a few pioneers to search for new
solutions. In the case of Italy, consumers have organized themselves into informal networks, in
order to purchase quality food together from local farmers. They are motivated by the meeting of
social, ethical and environmental needs (providing sustainable food and support local farmers)
which were not served in the beginning by incumbent firms and they operate in the social economy
as community groups. |
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| ISSN: | 2147-8988 2147-8988 |