Building Alternatives from the Bottom-up: The Case of Alternative Food Networks

Abstract

Alternative food networks (AFNs) are a comprehensive body of practices related to food provisioning which are different from the mainstream food systems. In this paper we deepen this topic from a sociological standpoint, focusing on a wide range of AFNs located in the Piemonte region of Italy. We articulate our analytical and empirical study focusing on three central concepts: 1) accessibility, which refers both to the point of sales to the agri-food goods; 2) sustainability, both from the environmental and the economic perspective; 3) quality, conceived as a contested field within which forms of coordination between actors can emerge.