The impacts of food chains: are alternative food networks sustainable?

The environmental impacts related to food production are of growing concern, with the phases of production and distribution that significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Among the call for sustainable food supply chains, Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) have emerged as alternatives to Large-Scale Retail (LSR), striving to promote a more sustainable food system. Research related to AFNs has primarily delved into the importance of local food, connection between producers and consumers or reduce the number of intermediaries. Even if AFNs are widely assumed to be more environmentally sustainable, there is a significant dearth of research on assessing their actual environmental performances. This paper aims to address this aspect of sustainability by analyzing the environmental impacts of AFNs, comparing them to the conventional model of food distribution (LSR), focusing on energy demand and climate change emissions. The study models four scenarios involving the distribution of oranges and carrots, supported by primary data, collected with an extensive interview with one manager for the AFN, and secondary data LSR. Results show that while AFNs perform better than LSR in the upstream logistics, the downstream perform worse, due to less efficient consumer travel patterns. Furthermore, the study evaluates an optimization scenario, revealing that modifying consumers means of transportation could significantly improve AFN performance. In conclusion, the results show how the environmental sustainability of AFNs should not be taken for granted, and how relevant last-mile logistics is for overall environmental sustainability of AFN. The study also provides useful insights for policy development and strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing sustainability and decarbonization in the food sector.