Javier Sanz Cañada is a Scientific Researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). He is the coordinator of the Agro-food Systems and Territorial Development research group of the Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD/CSIC) since 2014. He is an Agricultural Engineer (1983) and PhD in Agricultural and Food Economics (1990), both issued at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. His field of research is at the confluence of territorial studies, agrifood and environmental social sciences, particularly focusing on the spatial analysis of local agrifood systems and alternative food networks from an agroecological perspective. He has been the coordinator of the Local Agri-food Systems European Research Group since 2008. He has been awarded the following research prizes: 20th National Prize for Agricultural, Fishing and Food Publications (1992), José Cascón Award for Doctoral Theses (College of Agricultural Engineers, 1991) and 2nd Prize from the Caja Rural Foundation in 2014.