Alternative food networks (AFNs) are commonly defined by attributes of local production and short supply chains, which integrate dimensions of spatial and social proximity. This new form of food chain is emerging as a response to the crisis in conventional agribusiness. This article presents a systematic review of the academic literature on the alternative food network and short supply chain in order to understand the main elements and topics explored in the empirical studies conducted from 2014 to 2021. This review only considers research using a single or multiple case study approaches. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were used for the literature search. The identification and eligibility processes were performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) method. Six core topics were identified: motivation of actors; collaborative governance; social relations and trust; sustainability; boundary negotiation; and resilience. Most of the studies were developed in European countries. The results show that motivation to join the AFN and sustainability are the more explored topics, followed by the study of the different models of governance that characterize the AFN. In addition, the connection between different actors emerges, in a transversal manner, as an important pillar of AFNs. AFN features may change depending on social-economical, cultural, and geographical factors. There is therefore a need to explore other forms of AFNs; future research should conduct cross-analysis on AFNs in different countries and socio-economic contexts.

Social innovation is considered a relevant concept to tackle societal challenges and needs in rural areas and to promote smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. The characterising sector of rural areas is agriculture; therefore, the focus of this paper is on social innovation in the field of social farming. Among the many factors leading to the emergence and development of social innovation, agency has been considered relevant in the literature on transformability and transformative social innovation as it is the ability to turn contextual difficulties into opportunities for social innovation and for inclusive growth. This paper proposes an evaluation framework to assess the different dimensions of agency by triangulating quantitative with qualitative data and by using indicators. This paper adopts a case study approach, analysing two cases of social farming in Italy and the Netherlands. The results show that the social innovation idea and the resilience of the agency are among the most relevant dimensions for the emergence and development of social innovations. Finally, this paper discusses the three most relevant factors for agency to lead to social innovation: idea and embeddedness of the agency, transformability of the context through agency´s resilience, and agency as catalyst for empowerment.