Are Alternative Food Systems Socially Sustainable? A Case Study from Finland

This paper explores the importance of alternative food systems in delivering social sustainability to local communities. The perceptions of local and organic food systems actors regarding equity (or fairness) between the actors and viability of the local communities are examined to analyze social su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sustainable agriculture 2009-01, Vol.33 (5), p.566-594
Main Authors: Nousiainen, Marko, Pylkkanen, Paivi, Saunders, Fred, Seppanen, Laura, Vesala, Kari Mikko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
community
consumer attitudes
crop production
equity
farmers' markets
Finland
Food security
food transport
local consumer attitudes
local food production
local food systems
Local government
local markets
marketing channels
Organic farming
organic production
rhetorical social psychology
social sustainability
sustainable agriculture
Sustainable development
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Summary:This paper explores the importance of alternative food systems in delivering social sustainability to local communities. The perceptions of local and organic food systems actors regarding equity (or fairness) between the actors and viability of the local communities are examined to analyze social sustainability in Juva, Finland. The findings lend conditional support to the positive relationship between localized food systems and actors within these systems feeling empowered and influential, while also supporting other research emphasizing the limitations of farmer influence on vertical distributional channels, irrespective of production methods (i.e., organic or conventional).
ISSN:1044-0046
1540-7578
1540-7578
DOI:10.1080/10440040902997819