Participatory Action Research in Agroecology: Building Local Organic Food Networks in Spain

The serious problems of agrarian unsustainability cannot be solved through technological changes that lessen environmental impacts. Although technological change is important, it is also necessary to change the agri-food system as a whole. Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodological appr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agroecology and sustainable food systems 2013-01, Vol.37 (1), p.127-146
Main Authors: Guzmán, Gloria I, López, Daniel, Román, Lara, Alonso, Antonio M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action research
Agribusiness
Agricultural production
Agroecology
case studies
Collaboration
Environmental impact
Farming
farming systems
Food
Food supply
food supply chain
Local communities
localized food systems
Natural & organic foods
Organic farming
organic foods
photosynthetically active radiation
short marketing chains
social relationships
Spain
Supply chains
Sustainable development
Sustainable use
Technological change
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Summary:The serious problems of agrarian unsustainability cannot be solved through technological changes that lessen environmental impacts. Although technological change is important, it is also necessary to change the agri-food system as a whole. Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodological approach to collaborate with local communities. It enables us to advance in the restructuring of physical flows, economies, and information that support local farming, as a means to achieve greater autonomy and self-management. This article presents several case studies in Spain in which PAR has been applied to build local organic food networks. These are characterized by a more sustainable use of local resources and the development of short food supply chains.
ISSN:2168-3573
2168-3565
1044-0046
2168-3573
1540-7578
DOI:10.1080/10440046.2012.718997