Peri-Urban Agriculture and Food Platformisation Between Challenges and Opportunities

This paper succinctly delineates the challenges and opportunities inherent some dimensions of the food supply chain: (i) peri-urban agriculture in the production phase; (ii-iii) the escalating prominence of platforms in food distribution and consumption habits. Peri-urban agriculture encompasses the cultivation of food in areas proximal to urban centers, harmonizing food production with urban life and proactively addressing environmental challenges through sustainable practices. Food platforms include several activities, i.e., delivery services, online markets, recipe applications, that facilitate entirety of food production, distribution, and consumption processes and engender a transformative impact on the structural dynamics of the food industry. By conducting a literature analysis on these focal themes, this article emphasizes the paramount importance of peri-urban agriculture while also acknowledging the challenges arising from urban sprawl and land consumption. Additionally, it observes the upward trajectory of food platformization, also recognizing the consumer-centric opportunities it generates while underscoring its consequential impacts on logistical operations and territorial planning decisions.