About this Research Topic

Background

There is growing evidence that the current globalised agri-food system is neither sustainable nor resilient. It is responsible for around one third of the global GHG emissions and is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Furthermore, its structure and distribution mode do not provide food security for all and foster socio-economic inequalities between different parts of the planet. Consequently, an increasing number of scientists and members of the civil society are demanding a radical transformation of agri-food systems. The creation of alternative food networks (AFNs) represent a possible first step towards agri-food system transformation. AFNs can incorporate local, indigenous and innovative knowledge and bring together a diversity of actors to connect food production and consumption and create new practices and relationships around food. The creation of AFNs, and ultimately of Alternative Food Systems (AFS), should involve different actors, from farmers to social movements, from policymakers to scientists.

AFNs have the potential to contribute to a transformation towards sustainable, just, resilient and productive food systems, but even though they have increased in numbers and organisational forms in recent years, they still remain in a niche. Consequently, scientific evidence of their performance is still limited. This research topic will contribute to a comprehensive, multi-scalar and critical (e.g. including potential counter-effects) understanding of the current state and future potential of AFNs. It will address multiple aspects, ranging from social, economic and environmental aspects to productivity, participation and justice. Moreover, it will highlight the role of governance, power relations and institutions, as well as barriers and ways forward to promote AFNs and their role in food system transformation.

Contributions will present empirical evidence on the current state of AFNs and their contribution to one or several of the following aspects of food system transformation: (i) social, environmental and economic sustainability; (ii) resilience; (iii) productivity; (iv) food security or sovereignty; (v) food justice, and (vi) regionalisation and re-localisation . Further, we encourage authors to consider barriers and driving forces for scaling up, the replication of the initiatives or increasing the knowledge within the initiative from an operational or systemic, producer or consumer perspective. We particularly encourage submission of studies adopting a broader perspective to contribute to a more comprehensive and systemic understanding of AFNs, but studies addressing single aspects of AFNs are also welcome. Applied (i.e. case studies) and transdisciplinary studies are highly appreciated.

We accept both original research (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods) and evidence synthesis (e.g. meta-analyses, reviews) studies.

Potential topics:

• Current state of AFNs in different regions but also the status and collaboration in trans-regional networks of AFNs

• Environmental, economic and social impacts of different types of AFNs, e.g. in creating innovative practices and relationships around food

• Contribution of AFNs to resilience at multiple scales

• Contribution of AFNs to food security, justice, democracy and sovereignty

Policies and knowledge in the creation of AFS: analyses of governance and social movements for the scaling up, out (replication) and deep (increase in the knowledge) of AFNs.

Keywords: Agroecology, Alternative food networks, Food system sustainability, Niche innovations, Social innovations, Transformative solutions

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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