Delivering in short food supply chains: Using mobility patterns of farmers to indicate emerging food territories. A case study in the Hauts-de-France

Abstract

In the context of reconnecting agriculture and food, more and more producers are becoming actors of the food supply chain. This is particularly the case for those who sell their production in local short food supply chains (SFSC), involving new tasks such as delivery. For the geographer, an analysis through the concept of catchment area is no longer appropriate and it appears more relevant to focus on the mobility patterns of the actors linking areas of productin with rhose of consumers. What can these forms of mobility demonstrate about the consolidated or developing under ties with the diverse spaces around the farms? This paper analyses the farmers’ mobility and the territories constructed by these practicesusing a case study based on 6 farmers in the north of France. The aim is to qualify their activity spaces depending on: first, the influence of urban areas and second, the influence of production areas considered as places of competition among producers, with attractive or repulsive effects. The detailed analysis of the spatial practices of SFSC farmers, in particular of the delivery frequencies, also highlights mechanisms of imposed or chosen proximities.