The Conventionalization of Local Food: Farm Reflections on Local, Alternative Beef Marketing Groups

摘要: Across North America, the local food market has been peddled as an alternative or value-added production and marketing niche for small midscale family farms. Many former commodity farmers are now selling product to consumers — either on their own, with groups of farmers, cooperatives, through intermediaries active distribution chains. The literature conventionalization organic suggests that larger farm scale intermediary-controlled chain may produce unintended effects producers in these markets. same also questions role shaping motivations. Reflections from first-adopters experiences channels both direct-to-consumer could provide insight into "scaling up" a potential move toward food. In this paper we investigate two models "local beef" operate province Ontario: one organized by reliant direct marketing, second, larger-scale model, led purchase farmers. Through analysis interviews borrowing adoption innovation frameworks, present farmers' words some factors motivations attract types innovation, try expose gap between expectations outcomes. findings help gauge how group operation influences results, relates processes conventionalization, what means future groups.