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The article provides an original conceptual framework to advance the knowledge of short food supply chains (SFSCs) collaboration by bridging supply chain management approaches with empirical evidence from the agri-food sector. Through an in-depth analysis of 14 initiatives across Europe, it explores the multi-faceted nature of SFSCs collaboration, revealing a complex interplay between collaborative relationships, interaction mechanisms, and relational benefits. By identifying seven key interaction mechanisms—information sharing, decision synchronisation, goal congruence, incentive alignment, resource sharing, joint knowledge creation, and collaborative communication—the article shows how these mechanisms generate both tangible and intangible relational benefits, including fair pricing, reduced transaction costs, enhanced market knowledge, technological skills, and stronger community engagement. The findings demonstrate that SFSCs collaborations operate as dynamic ecosystems characterised by complex interdependencies among diverse actors. This diversity extends beyond traditional business-to-business (B2B) models to include business-to-consumer (B2C), consumer-to-business (C2B), and hybrid business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) relationships. These varied collaborative structures facilitate mutual learning, innovation, and value co-creation, crucial for the resilience and adaptability of local food systems. The presence of robust interaction mechanisms is essential for fostering effective partnerships and generating relational benefits, even if not all mechanisms are consistently present in every type of collaborative relationships.

The transition of food systems towards more sustainable organizational models is increasingly positioning Short Food Supply Chains as a key channel to value the specific attributes of local products, while also meeting the growing demand for diversified consumption based on both socio-economic and socio-cultural drivers. The aim of this paper is to offer new insights into evolutionary multi-stakeholder organization strategies within SFSCs, analysing drivers and barriers to their adoption, and investigate consumer acceptance of such new models. We draw upon the case study of the Km0 Newsstand project, an initiative launched to enhance and promote the biocultural heritage of the Tuscany region through the direct sale of traditional agricultural products, local food specialities and crafts, as well as related services in newsstands. We adopted a mixed-methods approach to conduct an in-depth analysis of this innovative SFSC model. To investigate the perspective of producers and retailers, we developed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis and also a Social Business Model Canvas of this newly designed business model by collecting and analysing existing documents and carrying out in-depth interviews with key informants. On the demand side, we implemented an online survey (N = 1000) to explore the factors influencing the intention of consumers to use the Km0 Newsstand services, along with potential drivers and barriers for their purchasing behaviour. Results show how the model ensures a balance between financial sustainability and the mission of promoting sustainable local consumption while fostering economic, social, and environmental benefits for all stakeholders involved.

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) have undergone a revival in developed countries in recent decades. Research into the economic dimension of these chains is being conducted, but further work is needed to understand how the concrete economy developed by the different types of SFSCs contributes to sustainable food systems. This article proposes to explore this question through the lessons learned from studies carried out in France since 2009, and which used mixed methods to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. As a counterpoint to the debates on the alternative nature or hybridity of SFSCs, results highlight the importance of alternative rules, created, enabled or maintained by social relationships, in contributing to an alternative economy that promotes sustainability, from agricultural practices to local development. The article opens the discussion on the value of quantifying the economic dimension of SFSCs, and on the importance of analyzing how their scaling up fits into the diversification of the economy for sustainable food systems in a context of new competition around ‘local food’. Finally, practical implications arising from the results are proposed.

In contrast to the historical development of short food supply chains (SFSCs) in North America and Europe, the institutional and political environment in Chile has been characterized by market liberalization and the promotion of food exports, relegating the adoption of SFSCs to conditions of informality, uncertain quality, and low prices in the domestic market. In the last decade, this situation has begun to change as incomes have risen and consumers have become more aware of food quality. The present research analyzes the adoption of SFSC in Chilean organic and agroecological farmers’ organizations. Using the method of qualitative comparative analysis for crisp sets, three configurations of favorable conditions for the adoption of SFSC are identified, related to the types of products and services offered by the organizations to their members. This provides valuable background information for the formulation of public policies that promote a transformation toward more equitable and sustainable food systems.

This paper investigates how short food supply chains (SFSCs) contribute to both agricultural sustainability and resilience. By reducing the number of intermediaries between producers and consumers, SFSCs foster direct and transparent interactions that enhance food security, support local economies, and promote adaptive capacities in agri-food systems. Through a structured literature review, the study identifies the key drivers underpinning both sustainability and resilience: economic, social, environmental, technological, and policy-related, and organizes them into a conceptual framework. From this framework, a conceptual model is developed to integrate and visualize the dynamic interactions among these drivers. The findings highlight the transformative potential of SFSCs in responding to contemporary agricultural challenges and provide a strategic tool for policy design and system-level evaluation.

Alternative food networks (AFNs) have been considered a potential solution to sustain rural livelihoods, while short food supply chains (SFSCs) are the main strategy for producers to participate in AFNs. To explore the conditions to develop SFSCs from the producers’ perspective, this study conducts a multi-case study of the aquaculture food networks in Taiwan and establishes an analytical framework based on the concepts of quality assemblage and positionality. By breaking the binary opposition between AFNs and conventional food networks, this study deepens the current understanding of AFNs in a glocal context and contributes to policy-making related to the application of SFSCs for rural development.

Drawing on survey, interview, and workshop evidence, this paper reviews the current state of play of short food supply chains (SFSCs) in England, calling for greater focus on infrastructure to support and enable SFSCs to build capacity in agri-food economies. The paper argues that despite a recent burgeoning of research on SFSCs, the role and importance of infrastructure to support SFSC arrangements remain piecemeal and too often ‘backstage’. A survey of 586 farms in England (completed May–August 2023) identifies widespread and greater than anticipated interest in increasing engagement in SFSCs, including amongst larger and crop farms. However, inadequate infrastructure is perceived as a major barrier to market access. Interviews ( n  = 29) (conducted in 2023) and a participatory workshop (February 2024), both involving SFSC operators, advisory organisations, and academics in England, echo survey findings and help understand why reconfiguring infrastructure is essential for transforming national, regional, and local food systems. The paper concludes by outlining priority topics, identified by practitioners, for future academic research. Key steps for a future research agenda include developing a common understanding of infrastructure types and combinations for sectors, alongside wider strategic alliance building with recognition that infrastructure support alone (material, virtual, legal, etc.) will not be sufficient. Bringing infrastructure ‘front stage’ in this more strategic way, we conclude, builds resilience capacity in agri-food economies to enable producers interested in SFSCs to realise positive outcomes.

Farmers’ markets, as a short food supply chain system, are considered schemes that can contribute to local development, producing economic, environmental, and social value. These three facets of value can set the stage for building up the farmers' market value proposition. In the present study, we use the theoretical concept of the territorial staging system to identify farmers’ markets as sociotechnical contexts where producers and consumers interact to provide experiential resources and experiential engagement. This paper focused on the supply side of the proposed framework: by interviewing farmers markets’ directors and producers, an empirical analysis has been carried out with the purpose of identifying how these actors evaluate the three facets of value (economic, social, and environmental). The results show that, while directors emphasize economic value, farmers attribute higher importance to the environmental and, especially, social facet of value. These findings, which represent a primary research step that includes the consumers' contribution to the stage setting, highlight the diverging views of the actors involved. Results suggest that developing a stage that enhances consumer experience is a complex process and requires understanding different viewpoints.

In recent years, the topic of urban food policies has attracted considerable interest within the scientific community, also in relation to the Green Public Procurement and the recent Minimum Environmental Criteria. These criteria promote organic school canteen service by providing award criteria for local supply, but to what extent is this happening in practice? To answer this research question, we investigated the diffusion of organic and local food supply and its opportunities and limitations. The empirical evidence on the developmental impacts of school food procurement policy initiatives on local food economies is quite fragmented, and studies rarely address supply models for school canteens involving small local producers. Consequently, the economic sustainability of different short supply chains linked with the school canteen has not been sufficiently explored. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing both the demand side and the supply side of organic and local agricultural products, using desk research and surveys. The methodological approach focused on a single regional context (Umbria in Central Italy) and drew upon stakeholder interviews and document analysis to explore barriers and opportunities for organic procurement in school canteens. This approach allowed for in-depth, context-specific understanding of both institutional and practical dynamics, including regulatory constraints and innovative local responses. Specifically for the supply side, three desk research studies and a survey were conducted. The first two desk researches outline the state of the art of certified organic canteens in Umbria according to Ministerial data and clarify the percentages of organic products to be used according to the Legislation. The third desk research analyzes different award criteria in calls for tenders, while the survey focuses on the degree of ease/difficulty faced by canteen managers in complying with Minimum Environmental Criteria. As regards the supply methods, two surveys were carried out regarding the management and suppliers of the canteen in the municipality of Città di Castello, whose canteen service was considered as a case study. The results show that: (1) The demand for organic products is growing: certified organic school meals tripled in Italy and doubled in Umbria between 2018 and 2023. (2) Four distinct delivery models emerged among Umbrian farms and agri-food companies supplying organic school canteens. These models differ in terms of supply volumes, values, geographical location, and the leading organizations (e.g., an agri-food cooperative, an association of organic farmers, a national catering distributor, and a regional catering distributor). Key findings include: (1) School canteens have a strong demand for organic and local products, but regional organic production cannot fully meet this demand due to small farm sizes and inadequate logistics. (2) Municipalities often rely on consultants to prepare tenders, but there is a lack of professional figures who can help small farms seize procurement opportunities. (3) Large distribution companies are seeking reliable local suppliers, suggesting that tenders should be viewed as opportunities to develop contracts with these companies. (4) Cost and revenue analysis shows that, in most cases, net margins are positive, confirming that supplying school canteens can be economically sustainable for local farms. Policy implications concern: (1) Strengthening logistical networks and cooperative models can help local farms meet demand. (2) Capacity-building for small producers and municipal staff could increase participation in tenders. (3) Public procurement could be strategically used to foster partnerships between local producers and large distributors.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a format for provisioning food, usually vegetables, where consumers are involved, to various degrees, in the production process. In this study of survey data, we explore differences between CSAs in Norway and the UK in terms of organisational models and member characteristics, particularly the factors that contribute to increase member contentment with CSAs, and their perceptions of their own mental health and vegetable consumption. Results show that compared to the British, Norwegian CSA members participate far more actively in the cultivation and harvesting of the vegetables, and more often prepay subscriptions for the whole season. In both countries, CSA membership was perceived to have caused improvements in members’ life quality, vegetable intake and physical and mental health. Members who participated more actively in the CSA and who received more of their vegetables through the CSA, were also more satisfied with their CSA and had a stronger perception that their vegetable consumption level and their mental health were positively affected by membership. Members with lower educational attainment levels were more likely to have discovered new vegetables through the CSA. Environmentally friendly production methods were also found to be important for CSA members. Vegetable quality and affordability were associated with higher contentment, and learning how to cook and grow vegetables through the CSA was associated with higher consumption of, and interest in, new vegetables. Overall, the results indicate that CSAs can stimulate contentment due to their members’ perceptions of social and environmental benefits.