Biographical note
An interest in the interplay between farming and nature (agroecology) brought Jorge and his young family from Mexico to James Cook University where he is studying alternative food networks and their role in the diffusion of agroecological practices. His research incorporates theoretical work from rural sociology and economic geography to the analysis of regional food systems from a management and marketing perspective.
Research topic
The role of Alternative Food Networks in the adoption of agroecological practices by small-scale farmers
Research outline
Several factors may stimulate, facilitate or impede change in farming methods. The emergence of alternative, community-based systems of food provision throughout the developed world, referred to as Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), is often associated with the resurgence and proliferation of locally-oriented farms that focus on quality and diversity, many of which adopt agroecological practices.
Environmental sustainability is a common aim of AFNs, but in practice how do AFNs contribute to it? Shortening the process from farm to table is certainly part of it but given that a high portion of the environmental impact of food occurs at its source (i.e., the farm), it is crucial to investigate how and whether AFNs are supporting environmentally sustainable agriculture. Research addressing how AFNs influence (and are influenced by) the diffusion of agroecology among small-scale farmers is scarce.
AFNs attempt to reconnect consumers with producers by enabling a relatively direct relationship between them. This reconnection is presumed to bring several benefits to consumers and producers alike, as well as to society as a whole. My PhD thesis focuses in questioning the common assertion that AFNs promote environmentally sound, wildlife-friendly farming practices.
My project involves a qualitative case research design consisting of two similar case studies, one in the Wet Tropics of Queensland (north-eastern Australia) and one in the Texas Hill Country (southern United States).
Research questions
My research addresses the following question:
- How do AFNs influence the adoption of agroecological practices?
This overarching question was broken down into a set of more concrete questions to guide the research design:
- What are the barriers to adoption and how can AFNs assist farmers to overcome them?
- How do AFNs incentivise change in farming methods towards wildlife-friendly managed landscapes?
- How do AFNs facilitate the transfer of agroecological knowledge from farmer to farmer?
- What can AFNs improve to better promote and support the diffusion of agroecology among their participating farmers?
Supervisory Team
Dr Breda McCarthy
Professor Stewart Lockie
Research Outputs
The outcomes of my research are expected to inform small-scale farmers about the role AFNs may play in their process of adopting agroecological practices. Furthermore, the research is intended to inform food and environmental policymaking as well as local community leaders and environmental NGOs about the true potential of AFNs and a locally-oriented food economy to support environmentally sustainable agriculture. Finally, this study aims to contribute to the improvement of current AFN initiatives by assessing their effectiveness in meeting their environmental sustainability goals.