Alternative Food Networks : a question about farmers’ resilience
2016
Berg, Kirsti
English. The aim of this study is to explore how different AFNs contribute to Norwegian organic farmers resilience. This is done by looking into the various food networks a handful of farmers are engaged in. The value-chains are studied to see how the farmers are situated in the value-chains and who controls the different activities. The resource use and economic return is studied and also the potential for growth.AFN stability is discussed using Actor Network Theory.The assertion that AFN value-chains are short is not always true. As this study documents, they may also be long and include intermediaries.For the four farmers in the study, it is clear that the AFNs are contributing to the resilience, giving economic gain and social embeddedness in the form of appreciation and identity.Use of translation mechanism may strengthen the farmer’s position in the networks. For one of the networks, a self-growing community, the translation failed and the community was ended.The work is based on interviews during the late summer and autumn of 2015 with six producers/farmers representing different types of AFNs; Self-growing community, Organic mill, Buyers cooperation, Farm restaurant, CSA and Direct sales in farmers Market and in-farm.
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