Search

Your search keyword '"Pesci, Sasha"' showing total 3 results
Start Over Author "Pesci, Sasha" Publisher escholarship, university of california
3 results on '"Pesci, Sasha"'

1. Can a Farm-to-Table restaurant bring about change in the food system?: A case study of Chez Panisse

Author

Pesci, Sasha and Brinkley, Catherine

Subjects
Clinical Research, Zero Hunger, Alternative food networks, restaurants, farm-to-table, direct-to-consumer, sustainable agriculture, chefs, California, social network analysis, social embeddedness, local food systems, Sociology, Cultural Studies
Abstract

This research examines the extent to which a Farm-to-Table restaurant prompted social and ecological changes in the food system. Chefs and restaurants are uniquely positioned to both generate consumer interest in certain foods and motivate farmers to grow such products. Despite their central role in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), the influence of restaurants on farming practices and the re-localization of food sourcing is under-explored. In this research, we used archival document review, interviews, surveys, and social network mapping to understand the mechanisms by which direct market connections between farmers and the Chez Panisse restaurant grew over time and influenced farmers’ growing practices. Founded in Berkeley by Alice Waters in 1971, Chez Panisse is frequently credited with pioneering the Farm-to-Table model and spurring the slow, local, and organic food movements. Our study suggests that Chez Panisse inspired farmers toward more sustainable agriculture practices, but the restaurant was not the only influential actor in the network. We found that local food hub managers and the restaurant’s “foragers” were key intermediaries. Our findings demonstrate that social embeddedness in AFNs is pertinent to fostering sustainable agriculture, the long-term survival of network actors, and network growth. Acronyms: AFN: Alternative Food Network; DTC: Direct-to-consumer; CSA: Community-Supported Agriculture.

Published
2022

2. Growing pains in local food systems: a longitudinal social network analysis on local food marketing in Baltimore County, Maryland and Chester County, Pennsylvania

Author

Brinkley, Catherine, Manser, Gwyneth M, and Pesci, Sasha

Subjects
Human Geography, Sociology, Human Society, Zero Hunger, Social network analysis, Local food systems, Peri-urban, Alternative food networks, System of food systems, Complex adaptive systems, Applied Economics, Geography, Development studies, Human geography
Abstract

Local food systems are growing, and little is known about how the constellation of farms and markets change over time. We trace the evolution of two local food systems (Baltimore County, Maryland and Chester County, Pennsylvania) over six years, including a dataset of over 2690 market connections (edges) between 1520 locations (nodes). Longitudinal social network analysis reveals how the architecture, actor network centrality, magnitude, and spatiality of these supply chains shifted during the 2012-2018 time period. Our findings demonstrate that, despite growth in the number of farmers' markets, grocery stores, farms and restaurants in both counties, each local food system also experienced high turnover rates. Over 80% of the market connections changed during the study period. Farms, farmers' markets, and grocery stores showed a 40-50% 'survival' rate, indicating their role in sustaining local food systems over longer time periods. Other actors, such as restaurants, had a much higher turnover rate within the network. Both food systems became more close-knit and consolidated as the center of gravity for both local food systems pulled away from urban areas toward rural farmland. Evidence of both growth and decay within local food systems provides a new understanding of the social networks behind local food markets.

Published
2021

3. Fresh food just a click away: California’s alternative food networks in the face of market digitalization

Author

Pesci, Sasha

Subjects
Agriculture, alternative food networks, COVID-19, digitalization, farmers, food systems, online sales
Abstract

This dissertation examines how farmers in California who sell at least some products directly to consumers or institutions experience the trend toward market digitalization, which was accelerated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. There is a trend toward market digitalization in many sectors of the modern economy, including the food system as the Internet increasingly mediates interactions and transactions between producers, retailers, and consumers. This trend accelerated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many consumers turned to the Internet to find information about and/or buy products to avoid the risks of exposure to COVID-19 at a grocery store. Since March 2020, direct market farmers also increased their use of online technologies to promote their farm, communicate with customers, and/or sell their products, and the number of online platforms specifically designed for direct market farmers has also increased in recent years. Considering this context, this dissertation seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) To what extent did online sales and marketing help farmers access markets during the early pandemic? (2) What are farmers’ attitudes toward and market digitalization, and how do they intersect with farmers’ demographics and values? And (3) To what extent does market digitalization enable greater access and inclusion or further exclusion of farmers into markets along the lines of social difference (gender, race, and national origin)? To answer, I analyzed quantitative data from 364 responses to a collaboratively-designed online survey, as well as qualitative data from 28 semi-structured interviews with farmers (in English and Spanish) and five interviews with technical assistance providers. I also conducted participant observation at farmer workshops and technical assistance meetings. The goal of this dissertation was to not only contribute to academic literature and a better understanding of the political economy of agriculture, but also to generate outcomes that would be directly beneficial, relevant, and applicable to direct market farmers in California. For this reason, I took a community-engaged approach to this research by consulting with staff at a non-profit organization that supports small-scale farmers in California on parts of the research design to understand what findings would be most helpful for them and for farmers. Findings from this research also have policy implications since they speak to farmers’ unequal access to resources and the importance of reliable access to the Internet, particularly in rural areas. Market digitalization adds a new dimension to the many ongoing challenges that small-scale and direct market farmers experience. Programs and policies that facilitate farmers' access to information and resources can enable farmers to make informed decisions about online technology adoption and use these tools more effectively. Farmers’ access to information and resources can enhance the overall resilience, equity, and sustainability of agri-food systems.

Published
2023

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results