Fostering urban short food supply chains: Evidence from the Netherlands

Short urban agri-food supply chains are an effective way to promote sustainability, viability, local economy and food security. This venture requires collaboration and knowledge from different disciplines, such as agriculture, food processing, logistics, sustainable economy, social innovation, engineering and ICT. However, there are many gaps in this research field, and many grey areas in government policy and regulations. The scope of this research is to explore the concept of short urban agri-food supply chains through case-study analysis and discussion. A case study was conducted based on a Breda (The Netherlands) municipal urban farming development, which included field observation, in-depth interviews with technical and knowledge experts, and detailed examination of present developments in short urban agri-food supply chains. Currently, urban farms operate in rather small scales, partly due to limited resources, sustainability requirements, lack of infrastructure, and deficiencies in regulatory compliance policy, food quality assurance system implementation guidance, local distribution platforms, etc. Moreover, urban farming’s small-scale operation form, combined with seasonal distribution patterns result in very high operational and distribution costs. Supply chain partners need targeted support in order to support and improve urban farming business operations. Emerging local-to- local business models are expected to facilitate contemporary needs and promote sustainability.