Going Local? Regional Innovation Strategies and the New Agri-Food Paradigm, 2003-2005

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>This research project aimed to produce a critical assessment of the prospects for local food networks and chains in the light of the UK government's 'Report of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food' (the 'Curry Report'), published in 2002, which extolled these novel food chains as one of the greatest opportunities for farmers and producers in the UK to add value and retain a greater slice of the retail price. The project therefore had the following objectives:<ul><li>to examine the changing regulatory environment of the agri-food sector in the light of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)reform</li><li>to assess the scope for devolved action in the design and delivery of regional agri-food strategies</li><li>to examine the nature of producer-retailer relationships in local agri-food chains</li><li>to evaluate the effectiveness of the regional support system</li><li>to contribute to theoretical debates about multi-level governance, globalisation and localisation</li></ul>To pursue these objectives, the project focused on two different regulatory contexts: firstly, the<br>
macro-regulatory context of CAP reform and secondly, the regional context in which these local systems are directly promoted by regional development agencies and other bodies. The research used three regional case studies: Wales and South West England, where local food is a relatively new regional strategy, and Tuscany in Italy, which is one of the most innovative regions in the European Union in producing and promoting local and organic food products. This qualitative dataset contains 70 interviews (16 focus groups and 54 individual interviews) with food providers and government representatives from the three areas, conducted during the course of the project.<br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>Topics covered in the interviews include: food network initiation and establishment; networking and linkages; autonomy for food producers; local food products and network sustainability; quality; political/institutional support; sustainability.