Food system: a comparative research on Product-Service Systems for food production, distribution and trade

Abstract Food systems have traditionally been the subject of social and agricultural sciences research. More recently, design research has been developing strategies that help understand the intersections between sustainability and the food system. It is not seen as a means of producing a tangible commodity to be marketed but as a result of an intangible sociotechnical system, which can be designed to improve life quality. This work aims to analyze the intersections between the concepts of Product-Service System (PSS) in Communities that Support Agriculture (CSA). In this context, two CSAs are analyzed as alternatives capable of positively transforming the way society produces, distributes and markets food. The limitations of this study and the role of design, in the development of more efficient and sustainable CSA models for the food system, are also discussed. The results allow to contextualize the functioning of the CSAs studied and to identify the particular challenges that can be overcome using PSS’ processes and skills.