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Beyond Food Provisioning: The Transformative Potential of Grassroots Innovation around Food

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  • Adanella Rossi

    (Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa 57124, Italy)

Abstract
The newly-emerged ethical foodscape includes multiple expressions of innovation around food. With reference to the Italian context, this paper focuses on the transformative potential of the experiences of social innovation, innovative grassroots initiatives, which have been significantly contributed to shaping the food culture and production-consumption practices during the last two decades. While still consolidating their fundamentals and facing the challenge of growth, the networks behind them continue to be engaged in an effort of innovation, inside and outside their niche. The paper explores these dynamics. Understanding how these networks are managing their transformative capacity and what are the opportunities and challenges arising in the relation with the mainstream system may help to better capture and value the potential of this innovation niche, drawing useful lessons for fostering its expression and for a broader transition to more equitable and sustainable food systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Adanella Rossi, 2017. "Beyond Food Provisioning: The Transformative Potential of Grassroots Innovation around Food," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:7:y:2017:i:1:p:6-:d:88241
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Carlsona, Laura & Bitsch, Vera, 2018. "Solidarity: a Key Element in Alternative Food Networks," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276872, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    3. Michele F. Fontefrancesco & Dauro M. Zocchi & Andrea Pieroni, 2023. "The Intersections between Food and Cultural Landscape: Insights from Three Mountain Case Studies," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-25, March.
    4. van Bers, Caroline & Delaney, Aogán & Eakin, Hallie & Cramer, Laura & Purdon, Mark & Oberlack, Christoph & Evans, Tom & Pahl-Wostl, Claudia & Eriksen, Siri & Jones, Lindsey & Korhonen-Kurki, Kaisa & V, 2019. "Advancing the research agenda on food systems governance and transformation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 102560, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Hamid El Bilali, 2020. "Transition heuristic frameworks in research on agro-food sustainability transitions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1693-1728, March.
    6. Pigford, Ashlee-Ann E. & Hickey, Gordon M. & Klerkx, Laurens, 2018. "Beyond agricultural innovation systems? Exploring an agricultural innovation ecosystems approach for niche design and development in sustainability transitions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 116-121.
    7. Rohe, Sebastian & Oltmer, Marie & Wolter, Hendrik & Gmeiner, Nina & Tschersich , Julia, 2022. "Forever Niche: Why do organic vegetable varieties not diffuse?," Papers in Innovation Studies 2022/8, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    8. Orozco-Meléndez, José Francisco & Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime, 2022. "A role for grassroots innovation toward agroecological transitions in the Global South? Evidence from Mexico," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    9. Clara Cicatiello, 2020. "Alternative food shoppers and the “quantity dilemma”: a study on the determinants of their purchases at alternative markets," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Julia Behringer & Peter H. Feindt, 2019. "How Shall We Judge Agri-Food Governance? Legitimacy Constructions in Food Democracy and Co-Regulation Discourses," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 119-130.
    11. Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes & Hanna Leipämaa-Leskinen, 2019. "Boundary Negotiations in a Self-Organized Grassroots-Led Food Network: The Case of REKO in Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-22, July.
    12. Émilie Lanciano & Séverine Saleilles, 2017. "Small firms in the sustainable transformation of food industry: entangling entrepreneurship and activism in grassroots innovation processes," Post-Print halshs-01879116, HAL.
    13. Naama Teschner & Daniel E. Orenstein, 2022. "A transdisciplinary study of agroecological niches: understanding sustainability transitions in vineyards," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(1), pages 33-45, March.
    14. Christina Gugerell & Takeshi Sato & Christine Hvitsand & Daichi Toriyama & Nobuhiro Suzuki & Marianne Penker, 2021. "Know the Farmer That Feeds You: A Cross-Country Analysis of Spatial-Relational Proximities and the Attractiveness of Community Supported Agriculture," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-20, October.
    15. Cees Leeuwis & Birgit K. Boogaard & Kwesi Atta-Krah, 2021. "How food systems change (or not): governance implications for system transformation processes," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 761-780, August.
    16. Robert Skrzypczyński & Sylwia Dołzbłasz & Krzysztof Janc & Andrzej Raczyk, 2021. "Beyond Supporting Access to Land in Socio-Technical Transitions. How Polish Grassroots Initiatives Help Farmers and New Entrants in Transitioning to Sustainable Models of Agriculture," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
    17. Hoogstra, A.G. & Silvius, J. & de Olde, E.M. & Candel, J.J.L. & Termeer, C.J.A.M. & van Ittersum, M.K. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2024. "The transformative potential of circular agriculture initiatives in the North of the Netherlands," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    18. Hamid El Bilali, 2019. "Research on agro-food sustainability transitions: where are food security and nutrition?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 559-577, June.
    19. Annemarie Groot-Kormelinck & Jos Bijman & Jacques Trienekens & Laurens Klerkx, 2022. "Producer organizations as transition intermediaries? Insights from organic and conventional vegetable systems in Uruguay," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1277-1300, December.
    20. Tezcan Mert-Cakal & Mara Miele, 2020. "‘Workable utopias’ for social change through inclusion and empowerment? Community supported agriculture (CSA) in Wales as social innovation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(4), pages 1241-1260, December.
    21. Giaime Berti, 2020. "Sustainable Agri-Food Economies: Re-Territorialising Farming Practices, Markets, Supply Chains, and Policies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-9, March.
    22. François Lohest & Tom Bauler & Solène Sureau & Joris Van Mol & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2019. "Linking Food Democracy and Sustainability on the Ground: Learnings from the Study of Three Alternative Food Networks in Brussels," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 21-31.
    23. Adanella Rossi & Mario Coscarello & Davide Biolghini, 2021. "(Re)Commoning Food and Food Systems. The Contribution of Social Innovation from Solidarity Economy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-30, June.
    24. Ilona Liliána Birtalan & Attila Bartha & Ágnes Neulinger & György Bárdos & Attila Oláh & József Rácz & Adrien Rigó, 2020. "Community Supported Agriculture as a Driver of Food-Related Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.

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