Agribusiness and Information Management
- Volume 3 Issue 1
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- Pages.1-10
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- 2011
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- 2234-3075(pISSN)
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- 2288-7806(eISSN)
The Role of Information Sharing and Social Community in the Evolution of Collaborative Food Networks
- Bolici, Francesco (OrgLab, DIAM - Facolta di Economia Universita degli Studi di Cassino, IESEG School of Management Lille & Paris)
- Published : 2011.08.31
Abstract
In this exploratory analysis, we investigate the genesis and the evolution of local food-purchasing networks created and operated by consumers. In details, we describe how collecting and sharing information about food-products can become a central activity for some consumers' communities and how these communities are starting to play an active role in the food supply chain. We define this community-based food-purchasing model as collaborative food network (CFN), and we analytically describe its characteristics and differences with respect to the traditional and industrialized agrifood supply chain models. A collaborative food network community in Italy, known as GAS ("Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale" - "Solidarity Purchasing Groups"), is introduced as an example of our analytical model. We will use this empirical example to present the strengths and weaknesses of the CFN model.
Keywords
- Collaborative Food Networks;
- Information Sharing;
- Self-Organized Social Community;
- Solidarity Purchasing Groups