Towards a sustainable convention: values and practices in the French stone fruits’value chain

Summary

In this article, we first present the framework of the conventions theory (CT) and the sustainable criteria of the Alternative Food Networks (AFN). Then, we present our results chain’s actor by chain’s actor (processors, supermarkets, corner grocery stores and producers). We indicate their consideration for the local and organic food products and their values around these themes. Finally we discuss these results within the CT conceptual framework showing that the producers seems anchored in the industrial world while the other actors are in majority coordinated by the market world. Thus, we suggest that the levers will be different for the producers and for the other actors of the peach and apricot chains and yet some common values have to been found within the chain.