from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD is the world’s only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access (free) thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our six JAFSCD Partners: |
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The cover image represents the University of Kentucky's innovative employee-benefit community supported agriculture (CSA) program, which provides a voucher to offset the cost for employees and retirees. |
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Midsized farms in the U.S. are well suited to meet the growing demand for locally and regionally produced food, but they often lack scale-appropriate market avenues to sustain themselves. Values-based food supply chains (VBSCs) have the potential to reduce risk and lower barriers for producers by using strategic partnerships to “scale down” conventional and grocery retail supply chain infrastructure as a way to facilitate market access for their farm partners.
In a new JAFSCD article, Connecting New England farmers to large retailers via values-based supply chains, authors Alexa Wilhelm, Isaac Sohn Leslie, and Analena Bruce present findings about the value-sharing strategies that are used in these partnerships. Corresponding author Analena Bruce can be contacted at Analena.Bruce@unh.edu.
KEY FINDINGS
The analysis identified three examples of mechanisms to share risk: -
Advanced volume commitments: Advanced volume commitments — such as bids and contracts that are typically only offered to large producers — provide a guarantee of market access that helps redistribute risk by passing it up the value chain.
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Market flexibility for seasonality and shifts in supply: Flexible delivery quotas (where shifts in volume between individual deliveries are tolerated and compensated for by a buyer) may help reduce risk for producers when they experience shifts in their supply due to seasonality, weather, and disease or pests.
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Market flexibility for volume: “Scaling down” their large volume requirements by allowing producers to supply individual stores directly rather than using industrial warehouse aggregation or by creating smaller markets for specialty goods.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
VBSCs can facilitate collaboration among supply chain partners by sharing risk and leveraging improvements in physical and informational infrastructures that are necessary for moving local and regionally produced food through conventional markets to reduce common barriers that hinder market access for producers. Examples to inform practice include: -
Cold storage: VBSCs can help provide shared access to costly cold storage technology for smaller producers to ensure their access to proper refrigeration, like hydrocooling, to meet retail quality standards.
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Transportation: VBSCs can offer direct store delivery, allowing producers to deliver to closer retail locations rather than distant warehouses, and facilitate aggregation networks between small producers, reducing transportation barriers for producers who are often solely responsible for the costs of frequent deliveries over extended distances.
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Warehousing: VBSCs can expand warehouse and storage facilities in individual retail locations to facilitate producers’ access to warehouse space that is integral for their participation in retail markets.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
Can values-based supply chains help midsized producers access larger retail markets like regional supermarkets? New research from the UNH Food Systems Lab (https://unhfoodsystemslab.net/) shares strategies used by partnerships that reduce risk and lower barriers for producers. This makes supermarkets more accessible to midsized farms in New England. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.023
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Photo above: A woman loads a truck with fresh products at a warehouse facility in New Hampshire (USA) that aggregates, stores and distributes products from farmers across the region. Photo by John Benford and provided by the authors. |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Dr. Cody Gusto, Dr. Catherine G. Campbell, Dr. Kay Kelsey, and Dr. Ziynet Boz (all at the U of Florida)
In a new JAFSCD article, Navigating a citizen science food waste project: Challenges and lessons learned, researchers from the University of Florida share practical insights from designing and implementing a community-based food waste study using a citizen science approach.
The project engaged 159 residents across Gainesville and Sarasota, Florida, who tracked their household food and packaging waste over a two-week period. Participants recorded what they discarded, how much, why it was discarded, and the type of packaging involved. These contributions supported a broader interdisciplinary effort to improve data-driven models that simulate household food waste patterns—offering valuable tools for local food system planning and sustainability efforts.
The article distills key takeaways from the study’s planning, participant support, materials development, and data management processes, providing guidance for others interested in applying citizen science in food systems research.
KEY FINDINGS -
Citizen science is a viable and scalable method for gathering detailed, real-time data on household food waste behaviors, offering new ways to support agent-based modeling and community-based interventions.
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Participant-friendly materials and clear instructional design are central to a project’s success, requiring thoughtful alignment with research goals.
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Logistical planning—including kit assembly, route mapping, and delivery coordination—demands significant time and resource investments, particularly for larger participant cohorts.
- Participant fatigue is a real and recurring challenge in intensive logging protocols, and must be proactively addressed through streamlined processes, regular communication, and technical support.
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Cross-disciplinary collaboration adds value but can introduce tensions in the absence of clear project scope and communication structures.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
Design materials that are accessible, intuitive, and tightly aligned with data collection goals. Pilot-test materials with end users to refine the format, flow, and clarity.
Build in flexible, layered training and support systems—such as instructional videos, FAQs, and direct assistance—to accommodate diverse participant needs and learning styles.
Plan for logistical complexity in materials assembly, delivery, and tracking. Allocate adequate labor, space, and lead time to avoid bottlenecks.
Anticipate and mitigate participant fatigue by exploring alternative data collection methods (e.g., photo-based logging, shorter intervals) and maintaining regular check-ins throughout the study.
Establish shared expectations and maintain consistent communication within interdisciplinary teams and with community partners to support project cohesion and continuity. -
Invest early in data management planning, including participant ID systems, data cleaning protocols, and secure storage solutions for large, hybrid-format datasets.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
In a new JAFSCD article, "Navigating a citizen science food waste project" researchers from the @UniversityofFlorida share practical insights from designing and implementing a #communitybased #foodwaste study using a #citizenscience approach. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.035
Photo above: A pitchfork mixing food and garden compost in August 2017. UF/IFAS photo by Camila Guillen, © 2017 UF/IFAS Communications and used with permission. |
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Film and Books Available for Review
Interested in documentaries and like to review one and share your thoughts with JAFSCD’s readers? Or need some summer reading? Fill out the quick review query form linked on our home page (right margin, Engage with JAFSCD > Propose a Book Review. You can also use the form to suggest other films, books, or reports for review. The selected reviewer will receive free access to the film or the book (hard copy or e-book).
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Junk Food Politics: How Beverage and Fast Food Industries Are Reshaping Emerging Economies, by Eduardo J. Gómez
From the publisher:
"Why do sugary beverage and fast food industries thrive in the emerging world? ... Despite government commitment to eradicating noncommunicable diseases and innovative prevention programs aimed at reducing obesity and type 2 diabetes, sugary beverage and fast food industries are thriving. But political leaders in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, India, China, and Indonesia are reluctant to introduce policies regulating the marketing and sale of their products, particularly among vulnerable groups like children and the poor. Why?"
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Farming While Black: As the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm in upstate New York, Leah Penniman finds strength in the deep historical knowledge of African agrarianism — agricultural practices that can heal people and the planet. Influenced and inspired by Karen Washington, a pioneer in urban community gardens in New York City, and fellow farmer and organizer Blain Snipstal, Leah galvanizes around farming as the basis of revolutionary justice. The film chronicles Penniman and two other Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim their agricultural heritage. Collectively, their work has a major impact as leaders in the sustainable agriculture and food justice movements.
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The Quinoa Bust: The Making and Unmaking of an Andean Miracle Crop, by Emma McDonell
From the publisher:
"Quinoa rose to global stardom pitched as an unparalleled sustainable development opportunity that heralded a bright future for rural communities devastated by decades of rural-urban migration, civil war, and state neglect. The Quinoa Bust is based in a longitudinal ethnography centered around . . the main quinoa production area in the world’s chief quinoa exporting country. This book traces the social, ecological, technological, and political work that went into transforming a humble Andean grain into a development miracle crop and also highlights that project’s unintended consequences. . . . At a time when so-called forgotten foods are increasingly positioned as sustainable development tools, The Quinoa Bust offers a cautionary tale of fleeting benefits and ambivalent results."
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Explore KPU’s SFSS program | |
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