TYPES OF INITIATIVES

 

Defining types of initiatives is a way to capture their diversity!

Each initiative was statistically assigned to a cluster with other initiatives with similar characteristics, based on their answers to the survey.

 

Cluster 1

Mainstram Sytem Anchored Initiatives

This cluster is characterised by initiatives involved in agricultural production. They tend to use a diversity of market channels (all 3 options - direct, short and long) but their main market channels are long ones. They mainly rely on their own private funds or on public funds. In most cases, they experience a lack of workforce. They mostly depend on external suppliers for energy. Most of them produce cereals, vegetables and cattle. There is a minority of women. Farmers tend to have a middle level of education. The main actors are farmers. They tend to be close to markets but equally close to and far from cities. They are mostly active at the farm level. They tend to have lower agroecological scores than in other clusters.

 

Cluster 2

Support Initiatives

This cluster is characterised by initiatives that do not have (commercial) agricultural production as a core activity, but that still focus on agricultural production and food system related topics. More specifically, these initiatives mostly involve both researchers and farmers. The farmers have their own agricultural production activities, but the initiative they are involved in with other actors is not meant to produce and commercialise agricultural products. Therefore, in comparison to other clusters where agricultural production dominates as the main source of income, initiatives in this cluster seem to mostly rely on other sources of income and on external funding. They mainly rely on public funds, their own private funds and other types of funding. Most of them encounter a lack of workforce or consider that this matter does not apply to them. Farmers involved in these initiatives tend to have a high level of education. They tend to be close to markets and cities or could not answer the question.

 

Cluster 3

Research Driven Initiatives

This cluster is characterised by initiatives involved in agricultural production. They tend to use 2 types of market channels (short market channels, followed by long and direct market channels). They mainly have 1 source of income (economic activity). They mainly depend on external suppliers for energy and seeds and rely on their own funds or on public funds. They have enough work force. Their main agricultural productions are cereals, followed by vegetables. Most of them are certified. In most cases, there is a minority of women. Farmers tend to have a high level of education. Main actors are researchers, followed by farmers. They are close to markets and cities. They are mostly active at the farm and food system level. They also tend to have higher agroecological scores.

 

Cluster 3

Community Anchored Initiatives

This cluster is characterised by initiatives involved in agricultural production. Most of them use 1 or 2 different market channels (direct market channels alone or along with another option). They tend to be more diversified than the other clusters in terms of sources of income/economic activities. They tend to depend on external suppliers for energy and seeds. They mostly rely on their own private funds. They tend to encounter a lack of workforce although in some cases there is enough work force. Their main agricultural productions are vegetables and horticultural products, followed by fruits. Almost all of them are certified or eligible for certification. In most cases, there is an equal share of men and women, and sometimes a majority of women. Farmers have a middle to high level of education. The main actors are farmers, followed by consumers. They tend to be close to markets and cities. They also tend to have higher agroecological scores. Most of them are active at the food system level.