Who is feeding embeddedness in farmers' markets? A cluster study of farmers’ markets in Gipuzkoa

• Published in: Journal of rural studies Vol. 61; pp. 22 - 33
• Main Authors: Oñederra-Aramendi, Aintzira, Begiristain-Zubillaga, Mirene, Malagón-Zaldua, Eduardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elmsford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Agribusiness; Agricultural management; Agricultural production; Alternative food networks; Basque people; Cluster analysis; Consumers; Embeddedness; Farmers; Farmers markets; Farmers' market; Food; Food chains; Food quality; Food supply; Governance; Legitimacy; Marketing; Markets; Personal characteristics; Policy making; Product quality; Quality turn; Supply; Supply chains; Trust; Viability; Embeddedness; Cluster analysis; Quality turn; Alternative food networks; Farmers' market
• ISSN: 0743-0167; 1873-1392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.05.008

The embeddedness between producers and consumers has been one of the factors that have ensured the survival of farmers' markets (FM) as one of the main Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) for agricultural producers. Although changes in the agri-food system in recent decades significantly reduced their position in the supply chain, farmers' markets have recently regained their appeal as a marketing channel within Alternative Food Networks (AFN). These networks value “buy local” and/or food “quality” as variables that help to build a relationship of mutual trust. The main aim of this research is to analyze the factors that encourage this relationship between producers and consumers involved in local markets. For this, an assessment of the social dimension of ten FMs in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain) is carried out. Through a Cluster Analysis, we study what motivations producers and consumers have for attending markets, and how these motivations influence the way in which they participate in FMs. The results of the research show how this explanatory factor of embeddedness depends on certain personal characteristics that define the way in which producers and consumers participate in FMs. In addition, the conclusions highlight the need to develop governance models in these marketing channels in order to ensure the legitimacy and viability of these initiatives. This implies setting challenges for managers and policymakers, as well as looking at future lines of research linked to the role of markets in AFNs.
•Producers' and consumers' motivations for participating in farmers' markets are strongly related to embeddedness.•We measured variables that built profiles of the embeddedness of producers and consumers in ten farmers' markets.•Emphasizing the importance of younger profiles is crucial for guaranteeing generational succession.•The embeddedness in local markets is seen to be built around the idea of “quality turn”.•New governance models have to ensure the viability of local markets as marketing and socialization spaces.