Selling the Rural in Urban Areas – the role of Local Food Products in the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas
July 14-15, 2022 – University of Aveiro, Portugal | An Online Conference (via Zoom)
Submission Deadline: structured abstract (around 600 words) – April 15th, 2022
Local and traditional food products have been attracting the interest of consumers, retailers, and producers, as well as the attention of politicians and academics in different research fields (e.g., agriculture, geography, sociology, anthropology, food studies, tourism). This relatively recent focus is related to the potential that local food may have in the revitalization of agriculture and rural territories, enhancing the attractiveness of specific areas of origin and developing tourism.
There is also an increasing European Union policy support to produce local and traditional foods, through several certification schemes and labels designed for their preservation, differentiation, and a better understanding of their specific character and features strongly embedded in their places of origin.
These features are also known to meet contemporary consumers’ demand for more sustainable, healthier, and quality foodstuffs in contrast with massified agri-industrial production.