Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-27gpq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T11:17:58.839Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

4 - Food systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2013

Catherine Esnouf
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris
Marie Russel
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris
Nicolas Bricas
Affiliation:
Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
Get access

Summary

This chapter focuses on food systems using an innovative dual approach. First of all, by considering them in interaction with energy and chemical systems within ecosystems, it poses the question of resource allocation (land and biomass). Second, a socioeconomic approach then highlights the diversity of these food systems. Different types of systems co-exist and reflect different ways of producing, processing, distributing and consuming food products. The ‘global’ food system is a constantly changing combination of these different types of systems, all of which influence each other.

Thanks to this dual approach to food systems, new research questions have emerged. New analytical frameworks would enable a clearer understanding of the interconnections between food systems within ecosystems, on the one hand, and their diversity and constant recombination on the other.

Introduction

Referring to the pioneering work of Malassis (1996), Rastoin et al. (2010) defined a food system (FS) as

an interdependent network of stakeholders (companies, financial institutions, public and private organisations) localised in a given geographical area (region, state, multinational region), participating directly or indirectly in the creation of a flow of goods and services geared towards satisfying the food needs of one or more groups of consumers, both locally and outside the area considered.

Type
Chapter
Information
Food System Sustainability
Insights From duALIne
, pp. 69 - 100
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×