Abstract
Despite the widespread use of the concept of embeddedness in the literature on agri-food networks, not much has been written on the process through which a food economy becomes embedded. To explore this dynamic and contribute to a more critical perspective on the meanings and implications of embeddedness in the context of food, this paper analyzes the emergence of saffron as a local food network in southern Tuscany. By adopting a constructivist approach, the analysis shows that embeddedness assumes simultaneously a social, spatial, and temporal dimension that are dynamically created by participants in the saffron economy as a response to specific market requirements. The paper concludes that a focus on how embeddedness is achieved in the context of food has both theoretical and empirical implications. Theoretically, it supports the need for a more holistic and actor-oriented approach that takes into consideration the tensions inherent in the process of embedding and also its ramifications outside of the social realm. Practically, a focus on how a food network comes to be embedded complicates the notion of food relocalization – an issue that raises empirical questions about the sustainability of local food networks and their contribution to rural development.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this research has been provided by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) as part of a project entitled “Going Local? Regional Innovation Strategies and the New Agri-food Paradigm” (ref Toe50021). I would like to thank Terry Marsden, one of the partners in this project, for his support and the time shared with me to discuss the concept of embeddedness. Special thanks go to the editor of this journal, Laura B. DeLind, and to three anonymous referees for their extremely constructive and helpful comments. I owe much to Anna Brizzi and many other people in the Maremma who have taken time off their work to talk to me and show me around. Among these people, I would like to mention Sandro Moris and Luisella Querci, two friends for life. Without them, none of this would have happened. I feel indebted also to a number of friends and colleagues who have, at different stages, shared their thoughts with me. Although the responsibility for the views expressed in this article remains entirely mine, I owe much to Andrew Sayer (Lancaster University) and Bob Antonio (University of Kansas) for the intellectual challenges they have provided. Many thanks also to Tanja Bastia and Jon Anderson (Cardiff University) for their comments and help. Finally, I thank Kevin Morgan, an extraordinary mentor and friend, for the invaluable support and inspiration he has provided and for contributing to make this work a lot of fun.
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Dr. Roberta Sonnino holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Kansas. She is currently a Lecturer in Environmental Policy and Planning in the School of City and Regional Planning of Cardiff University (UK), where she is involved in research on sustainable agri-food systems and public food procurement. Related publications include “Beyond the Divide: Rethinking Relations between Alternative and Conventional Food Networks in Europe” (2006) and “For a ‘Piece of Bread’? Interpreting Sustainable Development through Agritourism in Southern Tuscany.” (2004)
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Sonnino, R. Embeddedness in action: Saffron and the making of the local in southern Tuscany. Agric Hum Values 24, 61–74 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-006-9036-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-006-9036-y