Reflecting on the Concept of Local Agroecological Food Systems

Despite the extensive literature on Local Agro-food Systems (LAFS), which involves research on local food identity and organisational proximity, the environmental sustainability of these systems has rarely been addressed. This paper develops a new concept called Local Agroecological Food Systems (LA...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sanz-Cañada, Javier, Sánchez-Hernández, José Luis, López-García, Daniel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/157740
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/157740
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Specialisation vs. diversification
Short food channels
Food hubs
Cooperative supermarkets
Public procurement
Territorial governance
Urban–rural linkages
Metabolism of food systems
Especialización vs. diversificación
Cadenas cortas de suministro alimentario
Centros alimentarios
Supermercados cooperativos
Contratación pública
Gobernanza territorial
Vínculos urbano-rurales
Metabolismo del sistema agroalimentario
5401 Geografía Económica
5401.04 desarrollo Regional
6307.06 Desarrollo socioeconómico
Descripción
Sumario:Despite the extensive literature on Local Agro-food Systems (LAFS), which involves research on local food identity and organisational proximity, the environmental sustainability of these systems has rarely been addressed. This paper develops a new concept called Local Agroecological Food Systems (LAEFS), which focuses the research not only on local food identity, but also on agroecological principles. We aim to conduct a reflexive review of the literature on the conceptual factors attempting to describe the particular characteristics of LAEFS (distinguishing these from LAFS). We explore five axes of analysis: (a) to establish a compromise at the local level between agro-food sectoral specialisation on the one hand and greater cultivated biodiversity and a more diversified economic structure on the other; (b) to geographically and commercially shorten food channels to the fullest extent; (c) to construct new institutional formulae in the fields of logistics, distribution and public procurement for the scaling up of sustainable food; (d) to develop a participatory, bottom-up, multistakeholder and multi-level territorial governance; and (e) to reduce the metabolic profile of food systems by reorganising rural-urban linkages. One of the principal objectives of LAEFS should involve redesigning agricultural and food systems at a scale greater than that of the farm (territory or landscape). This requires both a major public policy push and sustainable territorial governance that incorporate an approach based on territory, food systems and agroecology