Characteristics and stability of consumer food-buying groups: the case of food circles

Demand for local and organic food has increased rapidly in Finland in the past two decades, as also have the wide variety of alternative food networks and food cooperatives (e.g. food-buying groups or food circles). However, the operating environment of traditional food-buying groups, aka food circles (ruokapiiri), has been experiencing changes as well. The supply of local and organic food in grocery stores has improved and new types of social media-based buying groups (REKO rings) have formed. This paper examines and evaluates the characteristics and stability of food circles in the Northern Ostrobothnia region in Finland by studying their structure and changes in their status over a 5-year period and reviewing their similarities and differences to REKO rings. An electronic survey and seven semi-structured interviews were implemented during the years 2013 and 2014. In addition, the status of the food circles was investigated in 2019 via email or phone, and REKO rings were studied through the literature. Food circles were usually seen as a functional way to purchase local and organic foodstuffs. Some members valued the high degree of traceability of shipments and face-to-face encounters with producers; for others, the primary motivation was overcoming issues of access and affordability. However, only two of the seven food circles interviewed were still operating in 2019. In addition, their level of activity had slowed down or transformed. Although most of the food circles were established by active consumers with more than just the intention to make local and organic food more available, it seemed that later on in operation most of the side activities faded and the groups failed to engage suitable people in the activity. Probably the most important difference between traditional food circles and modern REKO rings is the need to volunteer. In addition, social media-based REKO rings are better known on a mainstream level. On the other hand, our findings may indicate that while food-buying groups, as a form of alternative food networks, are a relatively new phenomenon in Finland, they might just be still applying their format.