Classifying short agrifood supply chains under a knowledge and social learning perspective

In the general movement toward agrifood market restructuring, a form of collaboration is represented by alternative agrifood networks (AAFNs). The power and competitive advantage of AAFNs depend on continuous interactions among producers and consumers through learning cycles that allow producers to learn faster and better. This paper explores short agrifood supply chains (SAFSCs), a particular form of AAFNs characterized by minimizing connections between the world of agrifood production and consumption, fostering social interactions between people, and boosting innovation processes. In particular, our contribution is to explore the strong connections between organizational choices, evident in network configuration and collaboration level, and ways in which social capital is deployed in SAFSCs initiatives. We develop an SAFSC classification and analysis framework that takes into account social capital dimensions and levels of collaboration within the main groups of SAFSC partners. The rationale is to provide a conceptual basis for understanding the effects of reinforced collaboration on social growth and organizational performances of SAFSCs.