The global food system is unsustainable and alternative food networks have emerged with the promise of addressing some of their environmental, economic and social challenges. This paper presents and discusses the results of a sustainability assessment co-produced with, and applied to, three alternative food networks in Mexico City. According to the objectives and indicators established by the networks themselves, their performance was acceptable in criteria related to care for nature; quality, diversity, affordability and proximity of food; learning, collaboration, organizational climate and gender equity. At the same time, we identified challenges related to fair prices for producers, economic equity, transparency of production processes and democracy. Scores varied among the different network models, which can be explained by differences in the objectives, forms of organization, and availability of resources of these organizations. In general, we find that the logic of caring for people and nature, political commitment, and the small scale of these organizations facilitates sustainable practices. However, their size and number also limits their scope, and amplification of these organizations is hindered by competition with conventional systems that externalize their environmental and social costs, especially in the context of acute socioeconomic inequality and poverty that prevails in the Global South.
Nájera et al. (Tue,) studied this question.