Interaction, communication, and trust: keys to connecting farmers and restaurants in southwest Sweden

Abstract Farm-to-restaurant relationships play a crucial role in shaping Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), yet these partnerships are influenced by a complex interplay of trust, communication, and economic constraints. The aim of this study is to explore farmers’ perspectives on their relationships with restaurants purchasing their produce. Based on interviews with farmers and participant observation conducted in the Gothenburg region, southwest Sweden, this study highlights the importance of direct, in-person engagement for fostering mutual trust and understanding between farmers and restaurants. The theoretical framework is rooted in prior ethnographic research about social relations within farming, characterised by analytical concepts such as ‘social embeddedness’ and ‘relational materiality’. These concepts help in understanding the complexity of AFNs and illustrate their dynamic and constantly evolving nature. While our findings confirm that close relationships between farmers and restaurants enhance food quality and support sustainable production, they also highlight challenges, including time constraints, price pressures, and communication difficulties. The study underscores the importance of representing the interaction between food actors while simultaneously considering farmers’ actual conditions, self-benefiting principles, and market-bound forces within a Swedish context.