Alternative Food Networks and agri-food regime transitions: evolution of institutional knowledge on local food from the fruits and vegetables sector in France

Abstract

Local food initiatives, which seek to shorten distances between producers and consumers, have thrived and been much researched over the past two decades. They have been conceptualized through various denominations, especially under the term of Alternative Food Networks—“AFNs” (Goodman et al. Alternative food networks: knowledge, practice, and politics. Routledge, 2012; Tregear, J Rural Stud 27:419–430, 2011). Because AFNs appear to have mounting influence on the food system, it is useful to conceptualize these as innovative “niches” which can pressure the dominant food “regime” into transitioning to more localized forms of food provisioning. Niche/regime interactions, theorized by the multilevel perspective (Geels, Res Policy 31:1257–1274, 2002), have already been applied to food transitions (El Bilali, Agriculture 9:74, 2019). Yet such AFN/regime “frictions” remain under-researched, and there is want of empirical evidence on the extent to which AFN innovations may influence regime actors. This case study research contributes to filling this gap by providing empirical evidence of AFN/regime frictions through the study of a key institution for innovation in the fruits and vegetables sector in France, the CTIFL (Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes). We use lexicometric analysis as an original methodology to study the 30-year evolution of a repository of articles housed in this institution and which relate to local food. Through this study, we are able to map out the structure and timeline of the institution’s base of knowledge on local food and AFNs, thanks to the lexical classification tools of the Iramuteq software. Our study shows that (i) this institution’s concern with local food has gathered pace in the past decade, (ii) its perspective, previously dominated by agronomy and other technical disciplines, has become more interdisciplinary and systemic, now incorporating many works from social science disciplines, (iii) territories and regions are increasingly seen to be a relevant scale for organizing the food transition, and (iv) CTIFL acknowledges the wide diversity of models which coexist within the booming local food scene. In studying the 30-year evolution of the “library” of this core component of the food provisioning regime, we can characterize the ways in which the regime may be increasingly acknowledging local food as well as the growing complexities in the food system.