Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/325663 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Citation: 
[Journal:] Italian Review of Agricultural Economics (REA) [ISSN:] 2281-1559 [Volume:] 78 [Issue:] 3 [Year:] 2023 [Pages:] 3-15
Publisher: 
Firenze University Press, Florence
Abstract: 
Food districts seem to be a phenomenon as widespread as they are somewhat little known and misunderstood. After thirty years of collective thinking and practice, we question what districts in the agricultural and rural domain actually are and whether we are yet to produce a scientifically consistent conceptual framework to fully understand them. This article aims to relaunch a debate about this theme, encouraging scholars to refocus their research on it, thereby hopefully prompting policy-makers to revisit and review current policy. How the current conceptual framework develops from Becattini's interpretation of the Marshallian Industrial District and its impact on policy design and implementation are analysed and grey areas highlighted. Current transitions linked to sustainability and global challenges are explored through the relevant literature, highlighting the changing meaning of some key concepts that are necessary to reframe the district notion. Our conclusion is that a new generation of district is needed, in addiction to a new policy framework, which in turn will require a reframing and more robust conceptualization of what food districts are. We end by analysing some difficulties and caveats to begin to produce a theoretical definition of a new conceptual framework.
Subjects: 
digital ecological transitions
Food districts
food systems
rural development policy
sustainable development
JEL: 
Q18
Q28
013
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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