New Inquiries into the Agri‐Cultures of the Middle

Abstract

AbstractThe disappearing “agriculture of the middle” (AOTM) in the US has been characterized as a market structure phenomenon, with midsized farms being defined as “too small to compete in the highly consolidated commodity markets and too large and commoditized to sell in the direct markets” (Kirschenmann et al. 2008). A national priority research agenda aimed at addressing this market vulnerability and renewing the AOTM has analyzed values‐based supply chains models, new forms of aggregation and distribution, and linkages among vulnerable small and midsized farming operations. These contributions have significantly advanced research on alternative market structures within the mid‐tier agricultural sector. However, insufficient attention has been given to cultural particularities and the AOTM. This cultural gap in the scholarship is partially redressed with the new collection of case studies presented in this special issue of CAFE. This commentary traces some of the key contributions of AOTM research and situates these recent CAFE contributions in the context of the existing literature. It concludes by suggesting two lines of inquiry for future research that examine critical cultural questions pertinent to AOTM scholarship.