Open thematic sessions > Food value chains: exploring cross-disciplinary approaches towards agrifood systems transformatio

Value chains are acknowledged as structural components organizing food systems stakeholders and their transactions. Agri-food value chains are a nexus of intertwined actors working collectively towards channelling and re-distributing resources and value from producers to consumers, from rural to urban areas (Ericksen 2008; Eakin et al. 2017). The mechanisms by which this collective action can be governed are complex and relate to numerous factors such as the scope of the activity, the heterogeneity of actors, their interrelationships, and embeddedness in a broader institutional and regulatory environment (Hagedorn 2015; Filippi and Chapdaniel 2021; Moretti et al. 2023). Despite their complex socio-ecological nature, value chains have been analytically and empirically regarded as a linear structure, with a sole focus on economic impact and an unbalanced consumer-oriented approach (Filippi and Chapdaniel 2021; Mechri, Hanisch, and Hänke 2023; Cholez et al. 2023). However, given the challenges presented by transitions, it is becoming necessary to rethink value chains in more interactive ways. An important aspect lies in understanding the way collective action can impact the design, understanding, and realization of diversified value creation, distribution, and capture along value chains (Gaitán-Cremaschi et al. 2019).

Collective action in value chains calls for different forms of cooperation whereby co-creation of knowledge and practices can inform and guide the connectivity and information flow among value chain stakeholders and enhance value creation and distribution (Leeuwis, Boogaard, and Atta-Krah 2021; Dentoni et al. 2023). Epistemological approaches, in this regard, come from various research corners. This session aims at bringing together researchers and practitioners dealing with the interactions among stakeholders in value chains, beyond definition and epistemological trends, to understand under which conditions food systems can transform towards strong sustainability.

References

Cholez, Celia, Olivier Pauly, Maral Mahdad, Sepide Mehrabi, Cynthia Giagnocavo, and Jos Bijman. 2023. ‘Heterogeneity of Inter-Organizational Collaborations in Agrifood Chain Sustainability-Oriented Innovations’. Agricultural Systems 212 (December): 103774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103774.

Dentoni, Domenico, Carlo Cucchi, Marija Roglic, Rob Lubberink, Rahmin Bender, and Timothy Manyise. 2023. ‘Systems Thinking, Mapping and Change in Food and Agriculture’. Bio-Based and Applied Economics. https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-13930.

Eakin, Hallie, John Patrick Connors, Christopher Wharton, Farryl Bertmann, Angela Xiong, and Jared Stoltzfus. 2017. ‘Identifying Attributes of Food System Sustainability: Emerging Themes and Consensus’. Agriculture and Human Values 34 (3): 757–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-016-9754-8.

Ericksen, Polly J. 2008. ‘Conceptualizing Food Systems for Global Environmental Change Research’. Global Environmental Change 18 (1): 234–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2007.09.002.

Filippi, Maryline, and Alain Chapdaniel. 2021. ‘Sustainable Demand-Supply Chain: An Innovative Approach for Improving Sustainability in Agrifood Chains’. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 24 (2): 321–35. https://doi.org/10.22434/IFAMR2019.0195.

Gaitán-Cremaschi, Daniel, Laurens Klerkx, Jessica Duncan, Jacques H. Trienekens, Carlos Huenchuleo, Santiago Dogliotti, María E. Contesse, and Walter A. H. Rossing. 2019. ‘Characterizing Diversity of Food Systems in View of Sustainability Transitions. A Review’. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39 (1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593- 018-0550-2.