3. Introduction to Part II: AFNs from the Consumers’ Viewpoint

The subchapters analyze the role of consumers and their purchasing choices from different angles. All approaches acknowledge that AFNs are deeply shaped by agents’ intrinsic motivation and by the role of interpersonal relationships, but their understandings of these dimensions differ. In the economic approach, other-regarding motives are relevant as “different” arguments of the utility function but do not cancel out the relevance of budget constraints. The anthropological approach views AFNs and consumer choices as an expression of opposition to the industrialized and globalized agro-food sector. The sociological approach underscores the importance of intrinsically motivated choices, but also acknowledges the role of situational constraints. Lastly, the environmental approach illustrates that unlike consumers’ view, AFNs are not necessarily more ecologically sustainable than conventional chains, when objectively measured.