The public perception and social trust in alternative food networks: The role of certification systems - A comparison between Brazil and China

Abstract

Alternative food networks (AFNs) are generally regarded as more sustainable agri-food systems compared to their conventional counterpart; however, its definition remains ambiguous and contested. As certification systems provide a series of standards and inspections in practice to ensure that the production and processing process of the product has met certain qualifications, their roles as gatekeepers in the food provisioning are indeed important. However, without universal criteria to date, certification systems, distinct from each other, may bring about different impacts on the ways of shaping people's perceptions and bridging the relationships between producer and consumer in the agri-food system...