Does short food supply chain participation improve farm economic performance? A meta‐analysis

Pierre Chiaverina (), Sophie Drogué, Florence Jacquet, Larry Lev () and Robert King
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Pierre Chiaverina: UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement
Larry Lev: OSU - Oregon State University

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Abstract: Many researchers, policy makers and food activists view Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) as attractive levers for improving farm income and the sustainability of farming systems. However, the empirical evidence documenting the association between SFSC participation and farm economic performance has been mixed. In this study, through a meta-analysis using a logistic regression, we identify key factors to explain differences between studies that find better economic performance in SFSC and those that do not. Our meta-analysis consists of 48 studies published in English and French from 2000 to 2022 that examine the economic performance of farms engaged in SFSC. Based on far more empirical evidence than previous reviews, we find that the relationship between SFSC participation and farmer income remains ambiguous. More specifically the findings indicate that the reported effect of SFSC on a farm economic performance varies depending on location and the indicator used to capture the economic performance of farms. Studies conducted in Europe are more likely to report higher farmer income as are studies that use profit satisfaction metrics rather than measures of gross or net income. We also emphasize the need to interpret the reported results cautiously because few are based on causal inference methods. Furthermore, the very few studies that account for selection bias often do so with inadequate corrections.

Keywords: Economic performance; Farmers; Income; Meta-analysis; Short food supply chains (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04011734
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Agricultural Economics, 2023, 54 (3), pp.400-413. ⟨10.1111/agec.12764⟩

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Journal Article: Does short food supply chain participation improve farm economic performance? A meta‐analysis (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04011734

DOI: 10.1111/agec.12764

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