Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
Although most foods are derived from the land, the territorial link between product and place in the United Kingdom has been eroded by industrialised farming systems, favourable agricultural support policies and the dominance of increasingly globalised food supply chains by agribusiness, large food processors and corporate retailers. While ensuring regular and standardised food supplies, these processes have also resulted in overproduction, collapsing farm-gate returns and rising public fears about food safety. Thus interest is growing in the potential for developing 'alternative' or 'relocalised' food systems based on quality, traceability and shorter supply chains. The research project had six aims: to conceptualise food relocalisationto compare the extent of food relocalisation in the West Midlands and South West regions of Englandto analyse institutional strategies for promoting food relocalisationto examine producer attempts to develop local food networksto explore consumer perceptions of local food productsto examine the policy implications of food relocalisationQualitative and quantitative methods were used to unravel the complex networks operating between producers, consumers and institutions. The main outputs of the research were: an informed conceptualisation of food relocalisation; an explanation of current food relocalisation processes in the two regions; and a set of policy recommendations for the future development of sustainable local food supply systems. This data collection consists of the 125 qualitative interviews conducted for the project; no quantitative data are included.
Main Topics:
The dataset comprises 125 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with respondents who had a professional or personal interest in local and regional foods. The interviews were conducted in three consecutive phases (labelled 2-4 below, phase 1 being a review). Interviews in each phase were conducted simultaneously in both regions covered. Phase 2 of the research examined the regional and local policy environments for food relocalisation through interviews with 45 regional policy strategists, county council and local government employees (e.g. planners, economic and tourism development officers), representatives of membership bodies and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Phase 3 comprised interviews with 40 farmers, food and drink processors and retailers, all of which were small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The interviews covered perceptions of the Processing and Marketing Grant and Rural Enterprise Scheme (food-related measures only) of the England Rural Development Programme; development control; the role of networking for the entrepreneur; and attitudes to the production of high quality food and drink. Phase 4 comprised interviews with 40 consumers of local food, recruited at selected premises of phase 3 interviewees. Interviewees were asked about their food shopping behaviour and to discuss the factors that inform their food purchasing behaviour.
Purposive selection/case studies
Volunteer sample
Face-to-face interview
