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https://doi.org/10.24306/plnxt/127Published
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zeynep Özçam
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circular food systems, urban food systems, alternative food practices, urban food planning, Karşıyaka, İzmirAbstract
The conventional food system generates significant social and environmental challenges, particularly in urban contexts where food access inequalities and ecological pressures are intensified. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach beyond production, incorporating regenerative practices and responsible consumption. The circular approach offers a promising framework for building more sustainable, resource-efficient, and equitable food systems. The adoption of innovative and alternative food practices is increasingly seen as essential for promoting circularity. This study examines how existing urban food initiatives contribute to the development of circular food systems, with a particular focus on Karşıyaka in İzmir province of Türkiye; a highly urbanised context in which municipality-led food policies and emerging food initiatives are seeking to reconnect fragmented relationships between food production and consumption. Using qualitative methods, the study investigates the circularity potential of these alternative practices through key circularity dimensions: regenerative production, waste prevention and material revalorisation, and responsible consumption. The findings show that while local initiatives support localisation and alternative food provisioning, their contribution to circularity remains fragmented, with weak integration between production, consumption, and material cycles. The study highlights both the potential for, and the limitations of, existing urban food practices to support more integrated circular food systems. Ultimately, the research offers a critical reading of how existing food practices partially contribute to circularity in urban contexts.
The article is a part of the upcoming special issue "Circular Cities and Regions – Planning for Sustainable Social and Inclusive Communities".
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