Explanatory Analysis of Factors Influencing the Support for Sustainable Food Production and Distribution Systems: Results from a Rural Canadian Community

Sahand Ashtab,Robert Campbell

doi:10.3390/su13095324

Abstract

Investigating the viability of alternative food networks (AFNs) is more important than before because of the disruptions in global supply chains and evolving resident composition in different regions. In this regard, this paper reports on findings of a project aimed at identifying factors influencing support for local, sustainable food production, and distribution systems. In the first phase, local residents and international students in Cape Breton, Canada, were surveyed prior to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to assess their attitudes and values relative to shopping at farmers markets and buying local. In the second phase, mid-pandemic, text mining of Twitter data was used to gauge sentiments related to these same activities. The results of our explanatory analysis suggest that the top two factors influencing decisions to buy local farm products were food attributes and supporting community economic development. In contrast to previous studies, we included an alternate sample group, namely, international students, and explored the relevance of the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer. Among our findings from the application of a logistics regression model to our survey data (N = 125) is the suggestion that the senior non-international student residents of the Cape Breton Island were more probable to be in the category of consumers whose perception of an authentic buy-local experience was limited to distribution channels that allowed for the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer.

Highlights

Direct farmer-to-consumer markets have provided the opportunity for selling more locally grown products [1] and made fresh produce accessible to consumers.The term ‘local’ may be defined by politically constructed boundaries and may suggest a variety of implications, such as environmental sustainability or availability of healthier food [2]
Breton Island are more probable to be in the category of consumers whose perception of an authentic buy-local experience was limited to distribution channels that allowed for the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer
In past research, supporting local farmers and community economic development has been reported as a value that motivates consumers to buy local [22,27,47,51], it has not necessarily been cited as the second most important value, unlike the results suggested by our study

Summary

Introduction

Direct farmer-to-consumer markets have provided the opportunity for selling more locally grown products [1] and made fresh produce accessible to consumers.The term ‘local’ may be defined by politically constructed boundaries and may suggest a variety of implications, such as environmental sustainability or availability of healthier food [2]. Direct farmer-to-consumer markets have provided the opportunity for selling more locally grown products [1] and made fresh produce accessible to consumers. The number of miles a product travels to get to market is a growing concern for ecologically concerned consumers [3], and consumers are becoming more interested in knowing about the origins of their food and how it is produced [4]. The development and emergence of alternative food networks (AFNs), which encompass the three pillars of sustainability [5], has allowed consumers to have access to fresh and locally produced products and be part of a multifaceted movement toward the sustainable production, consumption, and distribution of food products.

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Conclusion