Shortening the Supply Chain for Local Organic Food in Chinese Cities

Abstract

Driven by a rapid expansion of the urban middle class seeking for safe and prestigious food, China has witnessed significant growth in ecological farming. Small-scale ecological farms, usually located at the suburbs of metropolitan areas and characterized by internet-based approaches to marketing and distributing the food, are becoming increasingly common. Using a case study approach to rework Western understandings of alternative food networks, the chapter analyses financial, market and institutional constraints to success and how some farmers have utilised Chinese characteristics in new ways to address these constraints. The chapter illustrates how the application of new digital technology allied to high quality customer service has helped build mutual trust between producers and consumers. This has improved the resilience of the small-scale supply chains that link ecological farmers with their customers.