Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture
In the recent literature, Alternative Food Networks (AFN) are discussed as a promising approach, at the urban-rural interface, to meeting the challenges of the current agri-food system. Consumer-producer collaboration is seen as a characteristic feature in this context. What is lacking, however, are...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2017-0016 |
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doaj-04227444eb7a481a810bb653a3d774cb2021-09-06T19:20:21ZengSciendoMoravian Geographical Reports1210-88122017-09-0125318119110.1515/mgr-2017-0016mgr-2017-0016Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agricultureOpitz Ina0Specht Kathrin1Piorr Annette2Siebert Rosemarie3Zasada Ingo4Institute of Socio-Economics, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, GermanyInstitute of Socio-Economics, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, GermanyInstitute of Socio-Economics, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, GermanyInstitute of Socio-Economics, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, GermanyInstitute of Socio-Economics, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, GermanyIn the recent literature, Alternative Food Networks (AFN) are discussed as a promising approach, at the urban-rural interface, to meeting the challenges of the current agri-food system. Consumer-producer collaboration is seen as a characteristic feature in this context. What is lacking, however, are general concepts for describing the topics of consumer-producer interactions (CPI). The present study aims (1) to develop an analytical framework relying on six CPI domains and (2) to apply it to investigate CPI effects on consumers’ learning about and appreciation of agriculture. We conducted 26 guided interviews with consumers and producers of the three most frequent AFN types in Germany: community-supported agriculture (CSA), food coops, and self-harvest gardens. The results show that AFN participation enhances consumers’ learning about food (seasonality, cooking/nutrition, housekeeping aspects) and agricultural production (farmers’ perspectives, cultivation). Our results show that consumer’s learning is influenced by certain CPI domains, and each AFN type can be described by distinctive CPI domains. This led to the conclusion that specific AFN types open up specific learning channels and contents, with consumers learning from producers. AFNs at the urban-rural interface exploit knowledge of rurality.https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2017-0016analytical frameworkcommunity-supported agriculture (csa)food coopself-harvest gardenurban-ruralgermany |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Opitz Ina Specht Kathrin Piorr Annette Siebert Rosemarie Zasada Ingo |
spellingShingle |
Opitz Ina Specht Kathrin Piorr Annette Siebert Rosemarie Zasada Ingo Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture Moravian Geographical Reports analytical framework community-supported agriculture (csa) food coop self-harvest garden urban-rural germany |
author_facet |
Opitz Ina Specht Kathrin Piorr Annette Siebert Rosemarie Zasada Ingo |
author_sort |
Opitz Ina |
title |
Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture |
title_short |
Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture |
title_full |
Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture |
title_fullStr |
Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture |
title_sort |
effects of consumer-producer interactions in alternative food networks on consumers’ learning about food and agriculture |
publisher |
Sciendo |
series |
Moravian Geographical Reports |
issn |
1210-8812 |
publishDate |
2017-09-01 |
description |
In the recent literature, Alternative Food Networks (AFN) are discussed as a promising approach, at the urban-rural interface, to meeting the challenges of the current agri-food system. Consumer-producer collaboration is seen as a characteristic feature in this context. What is lacking, however, are general concepts for describing the topics of consumer-producer interactions (CPI). The present study aims (1) to develop an analytical framework relying on six CPI domains and (2) to apply it to investigate CPI effects on consumers’ learning about and appreciation of agriculture. We conducted 26 guided interviews with consumers and producers of the three most frequent AFN types in Germany: community-supported agriculture (CSA), food coops, and self-harvest gardens. The results show that AFN participation enhances consumers’ learning about food (seasonality, cooking/nutrition, housekeeping aspects) and agricultural production (farmers’ perspectives, cultivation). Our results show that consumer’s learning is influenced by certain CPI domains, and each AFN type can be described by distinctive CPI domains. This led to the conclusion that specific AFN types open up specific learning channels and contents, with consumers learning from producers. AFNs at the urban-rural interface exploit knowledge of rurality. |
topic |
analytical framework community-supported agriculture (csa) food coop self-harvest garden urban-rural germany |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2017-0016 |
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