Untangling the confluence of two alternative food movements: local and organic

Abstract

Two alternative food movements (AFMs)—local and organic—frequently appear together as “local organic food” in real settings as well as in academic studies. Why have the two AFMs been dealt with together despite their obviously different objectives? Through a review of the existing studies that have referred to the interactions of the two realms, I attempted to elucidate the overlap and identified nine factors linking the two AFMs: diversity in local food, bifurcation of organic food, sales channels to be expanded, substitutability, complementarity, competition in markets, trust on different levels, integration of society with nature, and community tradition.