Foodies' movement fostering stakeholders' networks: A regional case study

Abstract

The central theme of this work revolves around the foodies' movement under three perspectives: firstly, from a conceptual point of view to give account of its relevance in terms of consumer demand; secondly, to verify how, from the supply side, this movement can to some extent encourage and/or strengthen the creation of networks of local actors indispensable to encourage the meeting between the needs of the demand and supply of typical food products; thirdly, based on a case study to demonstrate that the movement of foodies can be exploited within a political action aimed at reorienting local tourism development. A national case study – Alghero, IT – was analysed. By positioning the rural and urban spaces with respect to the foodies' phenomenon, the existence/absence of networks between local stakeholders some obstacles emerged so as many opportunities. The stakeholder analysis was appliedand discussed. This method was very useful for identifying the role, power and leadership that the various local actors have in favoring or hindering the creation of connection networks between the city and the countryside, and in the requalification of the supply of typical foods that fit well into the current demand trend.