The report builds on data from discussions in ten focus groups in five countries. In all countries at least one of the groups were recruited from a local food network or among frequent organic consumers (UK). The rest of the focus groups consisted of participants not directly involved in special food initiatives. This approach provides for a specific insight to the role that alternative food provisioning and consumption may play for improving the diversity of local food systems.

In general, there were weak ties between consumption and production due to social and physical distances in the food system, and therefore less awareness of agro-biodiversity among eaters. Nevertheless, improved availability of local, seasonal foods of a diversity of plant varieties and animal breeds was relevant to many participants.

Awareness of changes in agro-biodiversity as experienced through lower numbers of varieties available in stores, as well as large differences between varieties that used to be available and those found in supermarkets today was expressed across the focus groups.

There were differences in the diversity of available local and sustainable food among participants, and accounts of how the participation on local food networks would increase this diversity. Being a member of a CSA provided a larger diversity, e.g. members of the Norwegian case of Hadeland CSA gained access to more than 40 different varieties of vegetables, potatoes and flowers, as well as meat from livestock at three local farms, including heritage breeds. Local food networks, such as CSAs, constitute a mode of organisation which favours diversity.

As an element of modes of consumption, diversity and flexibility in cooking practices play a key role in sustainable eating within local food networks. This also extends into knowledge and skills in regard to harvesting (in the case of CSAs or own production or foraging), storage, preparation and processing. Diets founded on a diversity of fresh and seasonal foods demand a different approach and set of skills as compared to diets based on standardised foods available all year around in food stores. Food culture, including both tradition and innovation and the will of exploration, with related sets of skills, may represent a key for succeeding in achieving more sustainable eating patterns.

The choice to buy organically produced food represented for some participants a way of structuring their food provisioning and limiting the number of single decisions and reflections having to be made. As expressed by CSA members in Italy, they were saved from this worry because the CSA provided them with all organic apples. Also from other cases, e.g. members of the consumer cooperative in Poland, purchasing directly from the producer or trust in others’ experience were preferred strategies to only rely on information and labels on the products.

The ‘functional foodscapes’ as described by the individual participants were varied and different from an ‘objective’ description of the same food environment. Factors influencing the perception of viable local and organic food options included physical distance, but also whether it would be necessary with a dedicated trip, or it could be reached on the way to the workplace, school or similar. Perceived proximity is of course relative – the greater the abundance and proximity to foods which are not local or organic, the lower the perceived accessibility of local and Organic foods would be in comparison. One of the largest perceived barriers to increasing the consumption of foods participants thought of as ethical was the over-availability of ‘tempting’ foods which did not meet these ethical criteria.

The possibility of shifting the balance of accessibility from supermarkets to smaller local stores was a common aspect of future aims and possibilities which participants across focus groups and countries expressed. Making the local, organic and sustainable more accessible in practice, and doable I everyday lives.