Exploring food ‘localness’: A definition from local food activists

While the interest of consumers in local food products increases, European Institutions push for a greener, ‘Farm-to-Fork’ redefinition of the agri-food sector aiming at enhancing local food systems. However, both marketing researchers and policymakers lack a unanimous definition of food ‘localness’. What makes food ‘local’ is not solely a geographical indication, nor the green values typically associated with local food production. The missing link is in the political dimension of local food consumption, which should be investigated further from a consumer perspective. In this paper, we will explore how Italian local food activists, i.e., Slow Food members, conceive food ‘localness’ by means of in-depth interviews. Findings show that the core of the food ‘localness’ stems from an ideological rural-urban divide, which is ‘bucolic’ in nature. Indeed, informants consider ‘pre-modern’ rural tradition as the bearer of positive values in food production. Hence, rurality is the pillar upon which this study defines the local food concept.