Cultivating connections
A Comparison of Food Producer and Consumer Values and Implications for the Viability of Local Food Networks
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6414377 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Courtney Quinn (0000-0001-5298-5233), Karen E Allen (0000-0003-1632-5662), Karen Allen (0000-0002-7253-2319), John Quinn (0000-0001-6877-8298), John E Quinn (0000-0001-8312-7223), Ashley Razo, Sydney Andersen, Holly Brown (0000-0001-5841-188X) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 2233-2246 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-21 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Agriculture and Human Values (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0889-048X • E-ISSN: 1572-8366 |
| Publisher | Springer Nature (Netherlands) (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10460-025-10749-6 |
| OpenAlex | W4410566603 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
Local food purchasing options have expanded significantly in the United States, yet their viability remains closely tied to social interactions between producers and consumers. This study investigated the alignment of sustainability values between small-scale food producers and consumers and focused on the social, ecological, and economic implications within South Carolina’s local food networks. Using a mixed methods design, we integrated semi-structured interviews with 24 small-scale food producers, a survey of 160 existing local food customers, and a stated choice experiment that targeted the broader consumer base. Our findings revealed that producers highly valued financial sustainability, biodiversity, and holistic farm management but perceived a gap between their practices and consumer understanding or willingness to support them economically. While consumers showed a willingness to pay for sustainable attributes like animal welfare and reduced pesticide use, this did not always align with the higher costs of local sustainable practices. This misalignment poses challenges to the economic viability of local food systems
Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Business · Economics · Food security · Food systems · Food waste · Geography · Natural resource economics · Waste management · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Engineering · Organic Food and Agriculture · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability · Marketing
Phenomenological research methods
Does organic farming reduce environmental impacts? – A meta-analysis of European research
Ecosystem services and agriculture
Consumers’ perceptions and preferences for local food
The New Environmental Paradigm Scale
Who are organic food consumers? A compilation and review of why people purchase organic food
Perceived contributions of multifunctional landscapes to human well‐being
What are the links between tree‐based farming and dietary quality for rural households? A review of emerging evidence in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Economic Action and Social Structure
Consumers’ perception of organic product characteristics. A review
Toward resilient food systems through increased agricultural diversity and local sourcing in the Carolinas
Relational values in agroecosystem governance
Investing in the transition to sustainable agriculture
Food Community Networks as Leverage for Social Embeddedness
Enhancing the face validity of choice experiments
The value of values-based supply chains
Marketing to the foodshed
Measuring livelihood resilience
Extensive Mediterranean agroecosystems and their linked traditional breeds
Meta-analysis of consumers' willingness to pay for sustainable food products
Whiteness and Farmers Markets
| Highly cited | No |
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