The territorial and political dimension of "short food supply chains ": representations and stakes in the European debate on the Common Agricultural Policy

Abstract

In the European Union, the "short food supply chains" have become key-components of territorial development strategies. In 2010, a vast inventory of initiatives was carried out in 23 Member States at the request of the EU Committee of the Regions, it shows to what extend they reflect the different choices of organisation and governance at local, regional and national levels, beyond the cultural or geographical diversity. The tools of intervention used illustrated different models of political representations, i.e. neoliberal, traditional-ruralist, alternative-ecologist. These representations allow us to better understand the reach of the proposals and counter-proposals, which have marked the European debate on the agricultural and rural development policy 2014-2020.