Abstract The emergence of digital technology has caused fundamental changes in the agriculture and food sectors, making digital platforms essential for facilitating knowledge sharing among stakeholders. This study reviews the role of digitalization in "knowledge exchange" within agri-food systems through a systematic literature review following the PRISMA guidelines. Using Rayyan, QDA Miner, and WordStat to process 81 articles selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, we identify emerging trends and gaps in agricultural knowledge sharing over the past few decades. Using sociotechnical systems theory, we constructed a conceptual model illustrating the relationship between a technical subsystem consisting of digital tools and a social subsystem comprising six identified stakeholder groups from government, industry, and academia. Our analysis indicates that digital technologies improve the efficiency, scale, and variety of knowledge transfers. Meanwhile, stakeholder participation facilitates the movement toward integrated technological and social subsystems. This perspective offers effective solutions for policymakers seeking to develop comprehensive digitalization strategies that integrate socioeconomic frameworks and innovation for sustainable development. Further research is recommended to explore the implications of digital knowledge frameworks on sustainability and resilience in the agri-food sector.

Abstract The distribution and concentration of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support and its impact on farm income have gained increasing attention in public debate and scientific literature. Previous studies highlighted the highly concentrated nature of direct payments, which represent the bulk of CAP support. Despite this, direct payments have shown mixed effects on income inequality, yielding unclear results. CAP 2023–2027 aims to address this issue by redistributive payments designed to increase support for small farms. This paper assesses the reform’s redistributive effects in Italy by comparing the status quo (2020) with a post-reform scenario (2026). Using a composite dataset integrating FADN and National Entitlements Register data, we estimate inequality indexes (Gini index, Herfindahl–Hirschman index, and 80/20 quintile share ratio). Results show improved equity in decoupled direct payments distribution: the Gini index decreases from 0.626 (2020) to 0.530 (2026), while the Herfindahl–Hirschman index drops from 4.65 to 3.27. The 80/20 quintile share ratio also improves significantly, reducing from 8.4 to 5.2. However, the reform’s impact on farm income concentration remains marginal, with only slight reductions observed across all inequality indexes.

While it is clear that animal production poses environmental and ethical challenges for society, it is less clear which impact animals have on the productivity of single farms. A sample of 2500 Swiss farms was used for descriptive comparisons between farm types and between farms without animals, before land, labour and capital productivities were explained in a regression by animal density. Results show that animals contribute positively to land and labour productivity for farms that are not specialized in horticulture and permanent crops. However, animals’ contribution to capital productivity is generally low or even negative and do not seem to be an optimal investment. Farms without animals have a higher labour productivity, land productivity and capital productivity than farms with animals. A careful analysis of the results indicates that animals, as a production factor, contribute less to productivity than other production factors, but that this fact is overshadowed by the considerable gains of farm specialization. Therefore, the clearest result of our exercise was not the modest profitability of animals on the farms but the considerable economic benefits of specialization.

In contrast to the historical development of short food supply chains (SFSCs) in North America and Europe, the institutional and political environment in Chile has been characterized by market liberalization and the promotion of food exports, relegating the adoption of SFSCs to conditions of informality, uncertain quality, and low prices in the domestic market. In the last decade, this situation has begun to change as incomes have risen and consumers have become more aware of food quality. The present research analyzes the adoption of SFSC in Chilean organic and agroecological farmers’ organizations. Using the method of qualitative comparative analysis for crisp sets, three configurations of favorable conditions for the adoption of SFSC are identified, related to the types of products and services offered by the organizations to their members. This provides valuable background information for the formulation of public policies that promote a transformation toward more equitable and sustainable food systems.

Short fruit and vegetable supply chains have become an important context for sustainable food systems, as they prioritize local, transparent, and environmentally friendly production processes. These supply chains are particularly relevant in addressing consumer concerns about food production. In this context, fruit and vegetable production raises significant environmental concerns, driving consumer demand for ecolabelled products. However, trust and perceived credibility of these labels remain critical, especially in short supply chains that emphasize transparency and local engagement. Therefore, this study examines the factors influencing consumer Willingness to pay for environmental labels on fruits and vegetables in the short supply chains. Specifically, we hypothesize that consumers’ willingness to pay for fruits and vegetables with ecolabels is higher for those who show interest in packaging information, who are concerned about the environment and those who have positive attitudes towards and trust in current certifications. We collected the data for our study via an online survey involving 1,029 participants from Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, and Morocco, applying partial least squares structural equation modelling for our analysis. Our results indicate that positive attitudes and trust in certifications have a positive effect on consumer perceptions of environmental labels in all the countries studied, and particularly in France and Greece. The influence of interest in ecolabel information on Willingness to pay is lower and is only detected in Greece and Italy. In Morocco and Italy, on the other hand, environmental concerns about production have a significant influence. The relevance of short fruit and vegetables supply chains in these findings underscores the importance of promoting trust and transparency in labelling within localized food systems, as this can further align fruit and vegetable supply chains with consumer demand for eco-friendly products.

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are increasingly regarded as promising alternatives to industrialized food distribution systems. They aim to create geographical, logistical, and social proximity between food producers and consumers. Despite extensive research on SFSCs in recent years, our understanding of how they can best be promoted is hindered by the lack of a unified approach in extant studies of consumer perspectives on SFSCs. The aim of this systematic literature review is thus to provide a comprehensive overview of the key determinants shaping consumer behavior around SFSCs. Following PRISMA guidelines, 30 peer-reviewed articles based on empirical research of SFSC consumers in the European Union were selected for analysis, applying Alphabet Theory as a theoretical framework. The findings emphasize the influence on consumer behavior of contextual factors, information availability, and trust, as well as the relevance of other commonly studied factors such as attitudes and sociodemographics. The review further highlights the importance of understanding how these factors interact to shape consumers’ perceptions of the costs and benefits of SFSCs. Based on these findings, the study gives recommendations to address the challenges identified and suggests directions for future research.

Malnutrition poses significant challenges to African food systems. Addressing these challenges requires synergistic strategies informed by a comprehensive understanding of consumers' food preferences and characteristics, which necessitates the identification of more homogeneous consumer groups. To help reach this objective, this article presents a novel segmentation of African urban food consumers from nine cities across Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Tanzania. The segmentation is based on diet quality indicators and behavioural traits, gathered through structured surveys combined with incentivized in-lab behavioural experiments. Subsequent cluster analyses identified four primary consumer groups characterized by shared behavioural patterns, diet quality, and propensity to food change. These groups serve as the basis for tailored nutritional recommendations aimed at providing policymakers with practical solutions to reinforce the nutritional capacity of local food systems.

Decisions about what we consume have environmental repercussions and, therefore, implications for future generations. Consumers’ ability to pay more for sustainable food stimulates production strategies, like circular agriculture, aiding the European Green Deal’s sustainable food system. With the aim of analysing the preferences and willingness to pay of European consumers for food labelled as obtained by more sustainable systems in terms of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and the optimisation of soil nutrients, a survey with 5591 participants from Spain, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and Belgium was conducted. The survey was designed to analyse three food products (pork meat, milk, and bread) obtained through different production systems (circular, conventional, and organic) using the discrete choice experiment methodology. The survey included questions about consumers’ environmental attitudes and consumption behaviour, to identify their influence over preferences regarding sustainable food products. Results revealed that over 27% of consumers preferred circular food, unveiling a potential market. This preference highlighted the effect of consumers’ environmental attitudes. Those who actively engaged in recycling were more prone to choose circular food and shown a tendency to go for less conventional options. Consumers’ WTP was consistently higher for circular milk compared to conventional across all the studied countries. However, for circular pork and bread, this greater WTP was reported exclusively in Spain and Croatia. It was suggested that sectors involved in a sustainable food production should standardise labels for circular food, create educational programmes about problems generated by unsustainable consumption, and promote consumption of circular products.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a format for provisioning food, usually vegetables, where consumers are involved, to various degrees, in the production process. In this study of survey data, we explore differences between CSAs in Norway and the UK in terms of organisational models and member characteristics, particularly the factors that contribute to increase member contentment with CSAs, and their perceptions of their own mental health and vegetable consumption. Results show that compared to the British, Norwegian CSA members participate far more actively in the cultivation and harvesting of the vegetables, and more often prepay subscriptions for the whole season. In both countries, CSA membership was perceived to have caused improvements in members’ life quality, vegetable intake and physical and mental health. Members who participated more actively in the CSA and who received more of their vegetables through the CSA, were also more satisfied with their CSA and had a stronger perception that their vegetable consumption level and their mental health were positively affected by membership. Members with lower educational attainment levels were more likely to have discovered new vegetables through the CSA. Environmentally friendly production methods were also found to be important for CSA members. Vegetable quality and affordability were associated with higher contentment, and learning how to cook and grow vegetables through the CSA was associated with higher consumption of, and interest in, new vegetables. Overall, the results indicate that CSAs can stimulate contentment due to their members’ perceptions of social and environmental benefits.

Brazilian agriculture is characterized by the prevalence of small farms and regions with a high degree of rurality and dominance of the agricultural sector in the economy. These two characteristics affect the diversity of agricultural production in the country. Specifically, the article aims to analyze the effects of size farm and farmland use on agricultural diversification and the effects of demand and technology adopted by farmers. The database encompasses 4298 Brazilian municipalities from 1996 to 2017 (the last three agricultural censuses). Empirically, we consider spillover effects by estimating spatial models at the municipal level using panel data, highlighting the importance of location and neighborhood. The study’s findings indicate a tendency toward local concentration of agricultural production in the country, despite the balance between municipalities with diversified and concentrated production. The results showed a significant effect of small farms and the municipalities’ rurality degree on the agricultural output diversification. The study provides insights into the discussion on measures to strengthen support for small properties and regions that diversify crops to ensure economic efficiency and food security.