Multi-actor organization for urban food systems : short but collaborative supply chains

WS 2.8. Farming the cities: Exploring the role of agriculture and food in enabling sustainable urban food systemsWS 2.8. Farming the cities: Exploring the role of agriculture and food in enabling sustainable urban food systemsThe landscape of food systems in France becomes more and more diversified since CSA-like French Amap have generalized the idea of joint initiatives between food producers and consumers, others than farmers’ markets and farm shops which are deep-rooted in French society. This seems especially true for urban and periurban areas. We observe and analyze a new model of short supply chains (SSC) which are organized as multi-actor short supply chains (MASSC). By definition, in these MASSC part of the logistic and marketing activities of one or several farmers is managed by an intermediate organization interfacing with consumers. The research objective is to qualify the configurations and analyze the innovative process of these cooperation models. We place this research in a branch of research related to the understanding of alternative food systems (Marsden, 2011, 2012). We have run semi-qualitative interviews on a selection of fifteen MASSC in France (12) and in the French speaking area of Switzerland (3). Key results are related to logistical solutions. MASSC create synergies among farmers, between farmers and consumers, and at a territorial level with a broad set of actors, like local authorities and associations. Cooperation means for individuals to pass a threshold in terms of logistical obstacles due to labor-intensive distribution and marketing activities which require specific skills. The use of ICT and local retail place allocated for free by local governments, firms or individuals limit distribution costs. MASCC also emphasize the use of innovative and sustainable forms of transport (cargo-bicycles, river-based transports, etc.) mostly in a marketing objective. Furthermore, the initiatives we have analyzed are often characterized by a strong social component. Associating structures of the Social and Solidarity Economy appear to be current practice. These examples at hand, we state a tendency amongst these MASSC towards a high degree of professionalization with a strong social component. These multi-actor SSC can be seen as adding to a more general movement towards closely linking rural-urban food systems. As most of them have been founded less than 3 years ago, further analysis is needed to fully understand their strengths, their impact on farm viability, and their perspectives for urban food systems in the future