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<div>Dear all,</div>
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<div>together with my colleague Doris Schmied we are organizing a Special Session at the Regional Studies Association Conference in Florence (Italy), 11th-14th June, about: "Rural-urban Food Networks as Pathways for Sustainable Regional Transitions". We are looking forward to empirical or conceptual contributions about different formats of food networks and their potential role for sustainable and just transitions.</div>
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<div>You find here our session as N°12 in the overview: <a href="https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/2024annual-special-sessions/" target="_blank">https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/2024annual-special-sessions/</a></div>
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<div>Please use this link to submit your abstract (250-300 words) until the 30th January: <a href="https://lounge.regionalstudies.org/Meetings/Meeting?ID=485" target="_blank">https://lounge.regionalstudies.org/Meetings/Meeting?ID=485</a></div>
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Since this deadline is very soon, we would be also happy if you could share this CfP (attached) in your networks! Thank you!</div>
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<div>We are looking forward to meeting and discussing with you in Florence!</div>
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<div>Kind regards<br/>
Birgit</div>
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<div>You find here the full text of our CfP:</div>
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<div>Regional Studies Association Annual Conference<br/>
Florence (Italy), 11th – 14th June 2024</div>
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<div>Special Session N°12:<br/>
<a href="https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/2024annual-special-sessions/" target="_blank">https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/2024annual-special-sessions/</a></div>
<div>Rural-urban Food Networks as Pathways for Sustainable Regional Transitions</div>
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<div>Session Organisers:<br/>
Birgit Hoinle, University of Hohenheim, Germany<br/>
Doris Schmied, University of Bayreuth, Germany</div>
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<div>The effects of the Covid19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war have raised an awareness of the dependency on food imports from globalized commodity chains. In addition, global challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, or unfair working conditions in agriculture call into question the power dynamics of the current food systems and their environmental and socio-economic impacts. There has been an increasing interest in regionalisation of agri-food systems and especially in regional food networks that intend to reconnect peri-urban and rural agricultural producers with urban consumers. These networks comprise forms of direct marketing like farmers’ shops or markets, Community Supported Agriculture, regional corners in supermarkets, or supply of restaurants. More recently, regional producers have started to supply public catering entities, such as kindergartens, schools and hospitals.</div>
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<div>This session aims to contribute to the debate on food networks that connect the countryside with the city or rural with urban areas. We therefore ask for contributions that deal with the following questions:</div>
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• Who are the multiple actors or stakeholders in regional food networking (farmers of different sizes, artisanal food producers, traders, retailers), and how is the interaction organized? What is the motivation of these actors (ethical, economic, regional identity, etc.)?<br/>
• How is the cooperation between producers and consumers organized in time and space (e.g. fixed space versus ambulant trade/hawking, means of transport, seasonality) and in view of the value chain?<br/>
• Which produce is involved (beyond vegetables and fruit)?<br/>
• What are the specific challenges for and obstacles to rural-urban food networks?<br/>
• What are the potentials of these networks regarding sustainable food system transitions in the region(s)? Which role do sustainability criteria, such as organic production or fair working conditions play in these formats?<br/>
• Which factors account for regional differences in the success or failure of networking? Does the size of city and surrounding countryside matter?<br/>
• Do old informal networks (fetching milk or eggs from a farmer nearby, getting venison from a hunter friend) still exist or are being revived?<br/>
• Should, and if so, how could networks be widened beyond niche producers and consumers? What would be the consequence of a “regional mainstreaming” in conventional wholesale and retail marketing? What are appropriate public policies to promote regional food networks?</div>
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We encourage empirical-based research contributions in order to discuss commonalities and context-specific differences in order to develop sustainable regional food systems, but would also appreciate theoretical considerations.</div>
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Kindly send your abstract (250-300 words) until the 30th January 2024!</div>
<div>Please follow this link for the submission: <a href="https://lounge.regionalstudies.org/Meetings/Meeting?ID=485" target="_blank">https://lounge.regionalstudies.org/Meetings/Meeting?ID=485</a></div>
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