Reimagining small firm growth for a post-growth context: a regional study of artisan food producers at farmers' markets
Food production and consumption pose pressing and unavoidable challenges for society. A consolidated global food system has increased the output of ultra-processed food and threatens the livelihoods of small food producers. At the intersection between food, people, and the environment are locally embedded spaces such as farmers’ markets. This study reimagines firm growth from the perspective of artisan food producers who operate at farmers’ markets within the context of sustainability and limited resources. Post-growth is an approach that moves beyond economic growth as a primary agenda. A multi-level critical realist methodology is taken to form a mixed-methods regional research design. This design involved the application of a novel theoretical framework that synthesises Penrose’s seminal theory of firm growth with Bourdieu’s practice theory to position firm growth as emergent, incorporating social and cultural factors. A policy analysis was conducted on Irish food strategies. Twenty-five farmers’ markets were visited in Munster, southwest Ireland. Quantitative survey data was collected from eighty-eight artisan food producers, qualitative data from observations and informal conversations, and ten key field informant interviews. Eight purposively selected case studies were undertaken representing four identified typologies of artisan food producers. It was found that farmers’ markets in Ireland represent resilient spaces (interstices) for an artisanal way of doing business. In addition, they play a vital role in redressing the balance in the food system by contributing to non-economic industry needs. Yet only 3% of the national food strategy targets incorporate local food production. The survey showed that 93% of respondents operated place-based, product-focused, family-oriented micro-businesses different from a traditional food-in-retail business model. An output is an empirical framework of business development centred around the symbiotic relationship of artisan knowledge and selling at farmers’ markets. A contribution is made to redescribe firm growth theory from this perspective, which contributes to reimagining firm growth for a post-growth context. The study’s applied critical realist framework contributes to methodology. From this study’s small business perspective of farmers’ markets, targeted policy recommendations were developed to recognise, support and foster artisan food producers’ contribution to positive food environments.
Artisan food producers, Small firm growth, Sustainable food systems, Critical realism
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