The COSY food project: assessing the sustainability of Alternative Food Networks in Belgium

Over the last decade new food production and distribution models have emerged in Belgium in opposition to the mainstream food system. Organic farming, short supply chains and locavore regimes, generally called alternative food... [ view full abstract ]

Over the last decade new food production and distribution models have emerged in Belgium in opposition to the mainstream food system. Organic farming, short supply chains and locavore regimes, generally called alternative food or agrifood networks (AFNs/AANs), have been developed to reduce environmental impacts, provide fairer prices for farmers, maintain local jobs and offer healthier food (Forssell and Lankoski 2014). However, Redlingshöfer (2006) draws attention to the distribution inefficiency of AFNs which may reduce the environmental benefits, while Tregear (2011) questions the socioeconomic advantages of AFNs. In addition, few evaluation studies of these initiatives consider all dimensions of sustainability and have an integrated approach (Bouroullec et al. 2014).
The COSY (consumer-oriented systems of food provision) food project originates from these general observations and the specific assessment needs of four Belgian AFNs that are partners in the project. The general aim of this project is to build a specific life-cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) tool to evaluate integrated food production–distribution–consumption systems in Brussels. The LCSA (Valdivia et al. 2011) method is currently being developed and combines environmental life-cycle assessment (E-LCA), life-cycle costing (LCC) and S-LCA, the latter serving to assess social and socioeconomic impacts, also currently under development. This abstract and a related poster present the overall aims and approach of the project and seek to stimulate discussion with peers.
The project’s first aim is to develop a common definition of the sustainability of AFNs, including identification of sustainability criteria and indicators. This will be undertaken in a participatory manner with the project partners and their respective stakeholders (consumers, producers etc.). As suggested by Mathe (2014), it will be done with the support of the Principles, Criteria and Indicators framework, which allows participants to express their preferences in a structured way. Indicators identified or developed during these exercises will then be integrated in the LCSA framework. The separate E-LCA, LCC and S-LCA methods will each be developed to meet the expectations of the project partners and the stakeholders. The project will also address some of the remaining methodological challenges in relation to the S-LCA and LCSA methods: the definition of criteria and indicators, the development of an impact assessment method and the integration of results drawn from the three analyses. The tools and methodological developments will be developed and tested by means of assessment of products from the four AFNs.