Sustainable Territorial Development of Food Production

Dear Colleagues,

In the last decades, a growing emphasis has been put on the potential of food systems in terms of sustainable territorial development. The adoption of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), claim among the other things for major transformations in agriculture and food systems in order to achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030. As a result, environmental, economic and social sustainability should be the core of productive, environmentally-oriented and inclusive food systems at the different scales.

While food systems are usually regarded as exclusively embedded in agricultural and/or rural territories, they actually encompass a wide repertoire of transcalar and interdependent actors, practices and value-adding activities ranging from production and processing to distribution and consumption of food products.

Particularly in a context of growing urbanization at the global scale, food has been recently rising up in several urban agendas. Different urban food policies and strategies have been developed in order to face the challenges of food in land-use and infrastructure planning, transportation, rural-urban connections. Other issues are related to the transformation of urban spaces due to new foodscapes and consumption-led practices, ranging from the right to healthy and affordable food to food gentrification.

There is no a single “food system” but rather multiple ‘food systems’ operating at different spatial or social scales, which interact with one another to varying degrees. Nowadays, food systems can integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, as well as addressing social justice and health issues at scales. They can be seen as an opportunity through which planners and institutional actors try to promote a more sustainable natural resource management, eco-system services and rural-urban connections, notably in the peripheral area. Furthermore, peripheral areas can exploit their unique assets and capabilities to transform themselves as engines of a regenerative food system through an approach based on bioeconomy and circular economy principles, in order to shape healthier and resilient food systems.

As a result, the main aim of this special issue is to explore various dimensions of sustainable food systems by taking into account both rural areas and urban contexts. Different research perspectives and scientific approaches will be considered in order to identify challenges of environmental and socio-economic benefits as well as scrutinizing how sustainable food systems can provide opportunities to develop and enhance the spatial quality of environment both in rural and urban areas.

Prof. Dr. Gabriella Vindigni
Dr. Teresa Graziano
Guest Editors

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• Food systems and SDGs
• Sustainable agro-food chains
• Circular economy and bioeconomy
• Smart solutions for sustainable food systems
• Stakeholder contributions for transitions towards increased sustainable urban food systems
• Evaluation of ecosystem services in urban context
• Alternative food networks and short food chains
• Urban food strategies and policies
• Food governance
• Peripheral areas for innovation in bioeconomy
• Food security
• Food justice and the right to healthy food VS food deserts
• Foodscapes in urban contexts and food gentrification