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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Sustainable food systems are systems that safeguard economic, social and environmental sustainability
by fomenting social progress, promoting efficient management of natural resources, providing nutritious
food and ensuring fair compensation for all actors in the food chain. In recent years, several initiatives
worldwide have been created to ensure and promote the sustainability of the current food systems. These
initiatives aim to enable people to have access to quality, nutritious and sustainable foods, combat social
and economic inequalities and promote synergies between consumers and producers. To promote these
initiatives is crucial in order to contribute to improved food consumption and production patterns
towards more nutritive and sustainable foods.
The objective of this research was to identify and characterize sustainable food initiatives in order to
understand their structure, model of governance, motivations, typology of actors involved and future
prospects.
This investigation was based on an interview guide that was applied to the managers or those responsible
for the sustainable initiatives related with the food system. Seven initiatives were included, and the semi-
structured interviews were carried out online during the summer of 2024. The recorded interviews were
transcribed, and the content analysed.
The results obtained by the interviews showed that the principal motivators are related to food and
sustainability, in all three, economic, environmental and social, dimensions. It was further identified that
the most important cause of success was the availability and commitment of the people involved in the
initiative. The seven initiatives analysed were implemented to meet local needs, both of producers and
consumers, while promoting sustainability. Furthermore, they aimed at encouraging economic
circularity, transference and sharing of knowledge, valorisation of local and rural resources, and management of food waste. These aspects contribute to more efficient and eco-friendly local food supply
chains, providing the consumers with fresher and heathier food products.
The existence of local or nationwide initiatives related with the sustainability of food system contribute
to a more efficient use of natural resources in order to obtain healthy, sustainable and fair food products,
that the modern consumers tend to value in search for a more friendly co-existence between the necessity
to produce food and the recognized need to preserve the natural ecosystems.
Description
Keywords
sustainability food system initiatives governance characterization
Citation
Florença SG, Amaral AL, Costa F, Guiné R, Costa CA. (2025) Governance models for sustainable and healthy food systems, in Abstract Book and Proceedings of 12th International European Congress on Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, que se realizou em Tirana, Albânia, pp. 14-15 [Resumo] e pp. 380-386 [Ata]