Implementing sustainable food forests

Extracting success factors through a cross-case comparison

Authors

  • Stefanie Albrecht Leuphana University Lüneburg
  • Arnim Wiek Arizona State University and Leuphana University Lüneburg https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8058-6440

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.111.019

Keywords:

Food Forests, Forest Gardens, Food Economy, Food Entrepreneurship, Implementation Paths, Case Studies

Abstract

Food forests are multistrata ecosystems that pro­vide healthy food, livelihood opportunities, as well as social-cultural and environmental services. With these features, food forests address several prob­lems industrial food systems cause. While the overall number of food forests is continuously increasing worldwide, the rate of uptake is still low. This study reconstructs in detail how different types of food forests (n=7) were realized, mostly in Europe, with a focus on organization and manage­ment. Findings confirm and add to previous studies indicating that the successful implementa­tion of food forests depends on long-term land access, sufficient start-up funds, and adequate farming and entrepreneurial know-how, among other factors. While these are not unique factors compared to other farm and food businesses, sustainable food forests face particular obstacles to secure them. This study offers guidance to food entrepreneurs, public officials, and activists on how to successfully implement food forests to realize their full sustainability potential.

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Author Biographies

Stefanie Albrecht, Leuphana University Lüneburg

Doctoral student, Center for Global Sustainability and Cultural Transformation

Arnim Wiek, Arizona State University and Leuphana University Lüneburg

Professor, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University; and Guest Professor, Center for Global Sustainability and Cultural Transformation, Leuphana University Lüneburg

Published

2021-12-21

How to Cite

Albrecht, S., & Wiek, A. (2021). Implementing sustainable food forests: Extracting success factors through a cross-case comparison. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(1), 183–200. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.111.019