Agro-Food Supply Chains in Peri-Urban Agricultural Areas: Do They Contribute to Preserve Local Biodiversity? The Case of Baix Llobregat Agrarian Park

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper explores variations in plant diversity, origin, and seasonality across diverse retail stores, shedding light on the dynamic nature of peri-urban agricultural landscapes well. However, there is a need for a more explicit definition of the research methodology in the paper, as its current presentation leads to significant gaps in understanding. For details, please refer to the comments made in the attachment.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English language quality is deemed acceptable.

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Interesting research trying to link agrobiodiversity to the type of channel in a case study area. While the paper at first glance seem to shed light on a link between a specific supply channel but I have some main comments regarding the research

1-      First, the results obtained from the natural park are in the agronomic region Baix of Llobregat as mentioned contains 14 municipalities, but you only carried out the research in only one region as stated (Viladecans). So, to any extent we can extrapolate results to the whole area and even to make comments on the SFSC or CFSC in general?. As your results are tightly specific to a specific zone, probably in another place the SFSC and CFSC could be different. Is it?

2-      The Hypothesis is not well defined and is generic. You only mention that the agrobiodiversity will be different according to a channel. You need to clear set the direction of your hypotheses and which implication (societal, public or market levels) have probing this hypothesis This is something expected hypothesis suggests that examining retail stores in an agricultural area might provide insights into the traded and cultivated agrobiodiversity in a determined region.

3-      My third major comment is that you are assuming that the Agrobiodiversity is related to the type of the channel and the market but not with the size of the store or where the store is located (high or low populated neighborhood)…. And this could be an important drawback. For example, I can be small farmer that sell at farmer market, but due to my limited production capacity I can only offer a small sets of Varieties or species. But another large farmer can offer at farmer market higher level of Agrobiodiversity

4-      Finally, regarding the implication. I expect to see in your result a comparison between SFSC and CFSC regarding agrobiodiversity. And I was not able to see it.  I mean is the SFSC more relevant from the Agrobiodiversity point of view? And if yes, which implication means. Or the opposite

This why I do not see your conclusion driven by your research

For instance, where from you conclude this from your study?

2SFSC could represent a real market opportunity for peri-urban farmers. They could pre- cent agricultural abandonment in urban areas [2,79], contribute to preventing the loss of local ecological knowledge [80] and be a driver of sustainable development [81-82]. “

 

A glossary of acronyms is necessary because many acronyms can be confused after reading.

Although Figure 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the present supply chain in the region under investigation, I disagree that supermarkets are merely situated in Less proximity side. As the authors are aware, there is some supermarkets in the Baix Lobregat region, small or well-known companies that purchase vegetables directly from regional farmers.

The same happen with Large-Scale Restaurant and Social dining? Less proximity side?. To my knowledge social dining are tightly relate to local farmers with high level of proximity. Need to give more details.

 

For local Market in the region you mentioned, it is important to highlight also that only products purchase for the Park are allowed to be sold. So this may also affect the agrobiodiversity when compared for instance to supermarket.

In the Field work you mention that stakeholders were surveyed 5 times annually in two rounds (different years) with a total of 13 retail stores from which information was collected.

That means: 13*5*2= 130 observations. Can you confirm?

You also mention that you add farmer market from another municipality. So please mention the final sample size

Share also the questionnaire used

How was challenging the retailers and store accept to participate (I mean it is five time in a year) which is a lot and I imagine during a working hour.

I understand that Viladecans municipality is an important producer in the analyzed region but can you consider that it is representative to all the Baix Llobreagt Park?  While the study is nicely presented, I am afraid to only see one place analyzed and it would be hard to extrapolate this the supply chain conclusion, no?

 

What Ratio IE:taxon means. This was not first defined until it appears on table 1

Comments on the Quality of English Language

is acceptable

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article is clear and well written, and the data is original. Here are a few comments to improve the explanations

Title :

Do  Agro-food supply chains in peri-urban agricultural areas contribute to preserve local biodiversity?

We don't really have an answer to this question - on what? how?

 

Abstract :

 In conclusion, the research underscores the importance of coordinated policies for promoting sustainable peri-urban local food systems and preserving agrobiodiversity, offering valuable insights into food supply chain dynamics in periurban agricultural regions.

We don't really have enough information to conclude on the importance of coordinated policies: which ones? on what factors?

 

Line 56 but the remaining actors of the food supply chains, such as distribution, become unexplored

Suggestion: PhD of camille billion

Rôle des acteurs du commerce et de la distribution dans les processus de gouvernance alimentaire territoriale

https://www.theses.fr/2018CLFAL017

 

Lines 137-138 Cornellà de Llobregat is a municipality from the other side of Llobregat river, next to Barcelona, with different demographic features.

this information would go better in the previous paragraph, which describes field work

 

lines 322-323 Given the observed flexibility over time in the parameters defining a farmers' market in BLAP, strategic decision-making is necessary to successfully maintain SFSC

what flexibility is observed and why is strategic decision-making necessary?

 

Line 327

avoid the term "scenario", which refers to the future and not to the different terms of retail

 

lines 338

When comparing IE found in farmers’ markets and variants mentioned by informants in

previous ethnobotanical research in the studied area [67], some interesting results are

found.

 

lines 352-361 :

the authors' proposal is interesting, but nothing is said about why this is not currently happening and how to promote NUS.

conclusions

Line 70 and II) to check the potential contribution of food supply chains, specially SFSC, to the conservation of agrobiodiversity.

So, in this case, what is clearly the potentiel contribution of food supply chains to the conservation of agrobiodiversity?

 

Lines  380-384 Farmers’ markets, as a clear representative of this type of food system, are a faithful reflection of the botanical diversity of an agricultural area, as they only feature the taxa cultivated in the region. In this sense, a greater intraspecific diversity has been found, which shows the agrobiological diversity present in the region, resulting from its traditional agroecological knowledge [67], and their contribution to the conservation of local agrobiodiversity

However, intraspecific diversity is decreasing, which shows that even farmers' markets are not succeeding in maintaining agrobiodiversity! Do the muti-scale policies needed involve support for these farmers' markets? how?

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The work is interesting, but presents some weaknesses both in theoretical and methodological terms. In particular, the emphasis on AFN does not appear justified, given that the investigation did not involve forms of AFN, but farmers' markets (SFSC). A greater analysis of the literature on the topic could clarify this aspect.

As regards the methodology, it is not clear the number of people interviewed, nor how the data was processed. For example, were the semi-structured interviews recorded, and was a content analysis done? Or was it a questionnaire containing information on the varieties, as would appear from the results described?

Other suggestions are contained in the attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Satisfactory response. 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Passable. 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I read the author's response to my comment and made sure they answered all of my questions and comments. I don't have any other needs. 

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I appreciated the changes and additions, which made the article much clearer and more complete.