To which extent is organic an alternative food system? The local organic supply chain and network in Parma

Organic agriculture and certification represent a common worldwide standard for agri-food product. The purpose is to guarantee the environmental impact of farming practices. Nevertheless, according to organic principles, social inclusion and economic resilience should be fostered. This would also help the spread of organic farming practices on marginal and small farmers. However, the conventionalization of organic agri-food system is a risk for small farmers and consumers. The purpose of this research is to analyse the socio-marketing relationships that exist between farmers and commercial stakeholders in the local organic supply chain. To do so the Social Network Analysis (SNA) is applied to quantify the vertical relationships of the supply chain and the horizontal exchanges between farmers. The case study is the Province of Parma, and the analysis is done on surveys to 89 farmers. Results show that supply chains are strongly concentrated following the organisation of conventional food supplies, both considering the purchase of inputs and the sale of agricultural primary production. This mainly depends on the fact that most of the farmers produce cereals and industrial crops. Moreover, farmers have very little horizontal relationships with other organic farmers localised in the Province of Parma. The analysis is relevant, because it demonstrates that organic certification does not guarantee alternative and more competitive commercialisations. Moreover, the results confirm the lack of social engagement of organic farmers. Finally, the study applies an innovative method to assess the market relationships. The conclusion of this study could be useful for academic research, local action and policy development to better frame constraints and drivers for organic certification.