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Sustainability of global and local food value chains. An empirical comparison of Peruvian and Belgian asparagus

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  • Schwarz, Jana
  • Schuster, Monica
  • Annaert, Bernd
  • Maertens, Miet
  • Mathijs, Erik

Abstract

The sustainability of food value chains is an increasing concern for consumers, food companies and policy-makers. Global food chains are often perceived to be less sustainable than local food chains. Yet, thorough food chain analyses and comparisons of different food chains across sustainability dimensions are rare. In this article we analyze the local Belgian and global Peruvian asparagus value chains and explore their sustainability performance. A range of indicators linked to environmental, economic and social impacts is calculated to analyze the contribution of the supply chains to economic development, resource use, labour relations, distribution of added value and governance issues. Our findings suggest that none of the two supply chains performs invariably better and that there are trade-offs among and between sustainability dimensions. Whereas the global chain uses water and other inputs more intensively and generates more employment per unit of land and higher yields; the local chain generates more revenue per unit of land.

Suggested Citation

  • Schwarz, Jana & Schuster, Monica & Annaert, Bernd & Maertens, Miet & Mathijs, Erik, 2016. "Sustainability of global and local food value chains. An empirical comparison of Peruvian and Belgian asparagus," Working Papers 232594, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:kucawp:232594
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.232594
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gianluca Brunori & Francesca Galli & Dominique Barjolle & Rudolf Van Broekhuizen & Luca Colombo & Mario Giampietro & James Kirwan & Tim Lang & Erik Mathijs & Damian Maye & Kees De Roest & Carin Rougoo, 2016. "Are Local Food Chains More Sustainable than Global Food Chains? Considerations for Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-27, May.
    3. Gianluca Brunori & Francesca Galli, 2016. "Sustainability of Local and Global Food Chains: Introduction to the Special Issue," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-7, August.
    4. Nirit Havardi-Burger & Heike Mempel & Vera Bitsch, 2020. "Sustainability Challenges and Innovations in the Value Chain of Flowering Potted Plants for the German Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-26, March.
    5. Enthoven, Laura & Van den Broeck, Goedele, 2021. "Local food systems: Reviewing two decades of research," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    6. Brainard, D.C. & Byl, B. & Hayden, Z.D. & Noyes, D.C. & Bakker, J. & Werling, B., 2019. "Managing drought risk in a changing climate: Irrigation and cultivar impacts on Michigan asparagus," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 773-781.
    7. Alexander J. Stein & Fabien Santini, 2022. "The sustainability of “local” food: a review for policy-makers," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 103(1), pages 77-89, March.
    8. Ioan Sebastian Brumă & Simona-Roxana Ulman & Cristina Cautisanu & Lucian Tanasă & Gabriel Vasile Hoha, 2021. "Sustainability in the Case of Small Vegetable Farmers: A Matrix Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-32, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Environmental Economics and Policy; International Development; Production Economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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