Characterization of Sustainable Food Initiatives: Preliminary Study

Sofia G. Florença (), Ana Luísa Amaral, Filipa Costa, Raquel P. F. Guiné and Cristina A. Costa
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Sofia G. Florença: CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Ana Luísa Amaral: ESAV—Agrarian School, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Filipa Costa: CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Raquel P. F. Guiné: CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Cristina A. Costa: CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: A sustainable food system can be described as a system that ensures economic, social, and environmental sustainability to secure food and nutrition for current and future generations. The present research aimed to identify and characterize sustainable food initiatives to understand the governance framework, the motivations, the reasons for success, the typology of actors involved, and future prospects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for seven initiatives between June and August 2024. The interviews were performed online, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The results showed that the main drivers of the initiatives relate to food, sustainability, and economic and social dimensions. Moreover, one of the reasons for the success of the initiatives is the availability and commitment of the people involved. These initiatives were created to meet local needs and promote sustainability as well as to encourage economic circularity, knowledge sharing, rural and local valorization, and waste management.

Keywords: sustainability; food system; initiatives; governance; characterization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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