Solidarity and Justice in Local Food Systems: The Transformative Potential of Producer-Consumer Networks in Greece

The research is aimed at presenting novel evidence on the contemporary dynamics of food sovereignty initiatives and short agri-food chains that were triggered by the crisis. Based on a qualitative approach that combines both a theoretical framework and empirical research, the chapter unfolds the characteristics of two main types of direct food purchasing networks between producers and consumers: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Markets Without Middlemen (MWM). The research mainly addresses new alliances and complementarities between rural and urban areas and the potential for food system transformation at the local, regional and national scales. The analysis shows that such initiatives can have a transformative effect on rural-urban linkages and patterns of food production, distribution and consumption, by promoting locally defined solutions based on reciprocity and solidarity. Moreover, it sheds light on the interplay between formal and informal public and civic practices and their influence on institutional and political recognition processes. Embedded in a wider discourse on the ethics of food, food system resilience, rural-urban development, urban food strategies, social inclusion, food sovereignty, health and food culture, the chapter discusses diverse perspectives on food system transformation.