Abstract
Online food retail has the potential to broaden access to systems of food provision which promote social and environmental quality attributes. This possibility is explored using data from a survey of 365 consumers who purchased food either via internet retailers of local and organic food, or via farmers' markets, in Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. Survey results are analyzed using principal component and regression techniques and interpreted via the theoretical framework of conventions theory. Key findings show that while online retailers of local organic food are not currently attracting more resource constrained consumers, they do appeal to a similar, although broader, array of quality conventions. This research provides new insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with increasing consumer access to alternative food networks, as well as adding to the small number of quantitative studies in the conventions theory literature.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 701-712 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Agriculture and Human Values |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2017 |
JEL classifications
- q18 - "Agricultural Policy; Food Policy"
- o13 - "Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products"
- o33 - "Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes"
Keywords
- Access equity
- Alternative food networks
- Conventions theory
- Internet retail
- FARMERS MARKETS
- EMBEDDEDNESS
- POLITICS
- LOCALISM
- SUPPLY CHAINS
- CHANGING WORLDS
- CONVENTIONS
- CALIFORNIA
- ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
- ECONOMY
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In: Agriculture and Human Values, Vol. 34, No. 3, 09.2017, p. 701-712.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Internet-enabled access to alternative food networks: A comparison of online and offline food shoppers and their differing interpretations of quality
AU - Wills, B.
AU - Arundel, A.
N1 - Export Date: 7 September 2017 Correspondence Address: Wills, B.; Australian Innovation Research Centre, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of TasmaniaAustralia; email: Benjamin.wills@utas.edu.au References: Adams, J., (2011) National food plan submission: creating appetites for farmers’ markets in Australia, , http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/2006869/Australian_Farmers_Markets_Association.pdf, Australian Farmers’ market Association, Accessed 15 Nov 2015; Allen, P., Realizing justice in local food systems (2010) Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 3 (2), pp. 295-308; Anderson, C., (2006) The long tail: Why the future of business is selling less to more, , Hyperion, New York NY; Anglim, J., (2007) Cluster analysis and factor analysis, , http://web.psych.unimelb.edu.au/jkanglim/03clusterandfactoranalysis.pdf, University of Melbourne, Accessed 02 March 2012; Biggart, N., Beamish, T., The economic sociology of conventions: Habit, custom, practice and routine in market order (2003) Annual Review of Sociology, 29, pp. 443-464; Boltanski, L., Thévenot, L., (1991) On justification: Economies of worth, , Princeton MA, Princeton University Press; Brunori, G., Local food and alternative food networks: A communication perspective (2007) Anthropology of Food, 2, pp. 1-20; Brynjolfsson, E., Smith, M., Frictionless commerce? 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PY - 2017/9
Y1 - 2017/9
N2 - Online food retail has the potential to broaden access to systems of food provision which promote social and environmental quality attributes. This possibility is explored using data from a survey of 365 consumers who purchased food either via internet retailers of local and organic food, or via farmers' markets, in Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. Survey results are analyzed using principal component and regression techniques and interpreted via the theoretical framework of conventions theory. Key findings show that while online retailers of local organic food are not currently attracting more resource constrained consumers, they do appeal to a similar, although broader, array of quality conventions. This research provides new insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with increasing consumer access to alternative food networks, as well as adding to the small number of quantitative studies in the conventions theory literature.
AB - Online food retail has the potential to broaden access to systems of food provision which promote social and environmental quality attributes. This possibility is explored using data from a survey of 365 consumers who purchased food either via internet retailers of local and organic food, or via farmers' markets, in Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. Survey results are analyzed using principal component and regression techniques and interpreted via the theoretical framework of conventions theory. Key findings show that while online retailers of local organic food are not currently attracting more resource constrained consumers, they do appeal to a similar, although broader, array of quality conventions. This research provides new insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with increasing consumer access to alternative food networks, as well as adding to the small number of quantitative studies in the conventions theory literature.
KW - Access equity
KW - Alternative food networks
KW - Conventions theory
KW - Internet retail
KW - FARMERS MARKETS
KW - EMBEDDEDNESS
KW - POLITICS
KW - LOCALISM
KW - SUPPLY CHAINS
KW - CHANGING WORLDS
KW - CONVENTIONS
KW - CALIFORNIA
KW - ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
KW - ECONOMY
U2 - 10.1007/s10460-017-9771-2
DO - 10.1007/s10460-017-9771-2
M3 - Article
SN - 0889-048X
VL - 34
SP - 701
EP - 712
JO - Agriculture and Human Values
JF - Agriculture and Human Values
IS - 3
ER -