Social Identity, Traditional Gastronomy, and Ethical Consumption: Strengthening Short Food Supply Chains and Sustainable Agri-Food Markets

BACKGROUND



Sustainable food systems depend not only on changes in production, but also on changes in consumption, trust, and market relationships. In many regions, traditional gastronomy—rooted in local ingredients, ancestral knowledge, and place-based practices—provides more than cultural value: it can shape consumer preferences and strengthen demand for locally differentiated foods. At the same time, consumers increasingly build and express social identity through food choices, using products of origin, ethical labels, and “buy local” practices to signal values such as solidarity, authenticity, and environmental care.



These dynamics matter economically because short food supply chains often rely on relational exchange, reputation, and information to reduce uncertainty about quality and sustainability attributes. When consumers perceive origin foods as authentic and socially responsible, they may accept price premia, purchase more consistently, and advocate for local products—supporting smallholder market access, territorial value creation, and biodiversity-friendly production. Understanding how identity-based motivations translate into stable demand and repeat purchasing can help consolidate sustainable food systems that are resilient, inclusive, and economically viable.







GOAL



This Research Topic examines how external stimuli—such as exposure to local culinary heritage, direct producer–consumer interaction in alternative markets (e.g., tianguis, farmers’ markets), and digital information (e.g., electronic word-of-mouth, ratings, recommendations)—shape internal consumer states (identity, emotions, perceived authenticity, and trust), which in turn drive market-relevant responses (ethical purchasing, willingness to pay and price premia, loyalty, repeat visitation, and advocacy). The Topic aims to connect consumer-level mechanisms to short supply chain performance and sustainability outcomes for producers and territories.







SCOPE



Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework, this Research Topic welcomes conceptual, empirical, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research linking micro-level consumer processes to meso-level market arrangements and broader sustainability outcomes. We particularly encourage studies that connect consumer perceptions (identity, values, authenticity, trust) to economic and market outcomes relevant to short food supply chains, including demand formation, willingness to pay, purchasing stability, and value capture for smallholders and territories. Articles using complementary frameworks—such as the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Values, and goal-directed behavior models—are also welcome.



Key themes include (1) how social identity and values (altruistic, hedonic, health-related, and economic) mediate sustainable food choices and willingness to pay; (2) gastronomy and heritage foods as levers for territorial development, tourism intentions, and loyalty to local agri-food products; (3) how digital information and E‑WOM operate as reputation and quality signals that reduce information asymmetry and perceived risk for small producers; (4) profiling sustainable consumer segments and their interactions with socially responsible brands, labels, and origin schemes; and (5) consumer empowerment, transparency, verification, and resistance to greenwashing in sustainability claims. Collectively, this Topic aims to generate actionable insights for producers, market organizers, policymakers, and researchers seeking to scale sustainability through culture, identity, trust, and economically viable short food supply chains.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: alternative food markets, SOR, smallholder, ancestral knowledge, solidarity, cultural value, heritage, sustainable food choices, territory

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.