Embedded entrepreneurship for local product valorisation: the BUFET D’ORÍS potato market

Entrepreneurship is basic to ensure the organisation and maintenance of food events. These events reinforce the identity of local communities and improve the destination's competitiveness. Considering this reality, this research aims to analyse the management processes of the Bufet d’Orís potato market to understand the valorisation and status of this traditional product in the context of a locally embedded food system. Based on an exploratory qualitative approach, fourteen interviews with stakeholders, including local associations, producers, restaurants, and the local government representatives were conducted. Results show the role of local markets as economic spaces and cultural and social assets that contribute to protecting and promoting territorial identity. Drawing on an under-researched area in the interior of Catalonia, the current research provides insights into the past, present, and future challenges of local food production and consumption in the context of governance and market sustainable development.