Understanding the System Context of Alternative Food Supply Chains

This paper focuses upon the case of alternative food supply chains (AFSCs) as a "laboratory" for the implementation of sustainability concepts on a larger scale. To realize this type of upscaling, two important conditions should be fulfilled: the initiatives have to combine a performing internal organisation with the ability to understand and interact with the larger food system. To explore these concepts, the theory of hybrid organisations and the system innovation policy approach are discussed. Theory and empirical evidence learns that both concepts are complementary, as they both stress the importance of networking with actors that can be situated within or outside the supply chain.