%L theses_frw3845
%D 2022
%A Tialde Feenstra
%X Conventional Agriculture (CA) is not sustainable. Alternative food networks (AFNs) can serve as a way to alleviate pressure on CA while at the same time improving local biodiversity, producing high-quality produce, fostering social cohesion and spreading knowledge. Despite the benefits of AFNs, it can be challenging to start an AFN initiative. Through literature review, policy document analysis and semi-structured interviews this research aims to find out where these challenges lie for founders in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland and what governments do to stimulate these AFNs. Governments can play a facilitative role through network structuration (creating a favorable institutional framework) and process management (physical- and speech acts that make initiating projects less demanding and more attractive). Results indicate that challenges lie in incompleteness of local land-use plans and navigation of formal procedures (network structuration), as well as in communication with government officials (process management).
%T Working towards local sustainability?