15. Conclusions: An Interdisciplinary Assessment

In this chapter, Corsi, Barbera, Dansero and Peano review the main findings of the research presented in this volume. These findings support the concept of alternativeness as a continuum rather than a dichotomy, due to the heterogeneity of consumers’ and producers’ preferences for private, rival attributes of self-interest or non-rival, altruistic ones. The “degree of alternativeness” can thus be interpreted along two dimensions: the degree of consumers’ preferences for rival vs non-rival goods, and the relevance of personal relationships. After presenting the benefits of the interdisciplinary approach, the authors discuss the AFNs’ prospects for scaling up or scaling out. These prospects depend on increases in the criticism of the existing food system and of the demand for attributes such as personal relationships that conventional chains cannot provide.