Abstract

Supply chains (SC) usually have been seen as effective networks of relationships that link suppliers with consumers in such a way that additional economic value is created inside and throughout organizations. Ways to increase value of goods or services usually are associated to the alignment of outcomes from different participants of the SC. Accordingly, drivers to formalize relations and challenges for SC to become sustainable have been identified. Criteria also have been proposed to evaluate SC performance. This research suggests that current Food Supply Chains drivers (FSC) do not appeal to every actor inside the chain. In the specific case of food micro-producers, economic value is not the unique rationale to engage a FSC. Other drivers have been identified and they suggest the need for a complementary approach. Our proposition is to produce and maintain effective and efficient FSC structures that involve micro-producers by complementing current descriptive models that describe what is a FSC, with additional action-oriented models for building them.