The Urban and Peri-Urban Farms (UPFs) Relational Model: The Case of Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Different studies demonstrate that urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) operate inso-called alternative food networks (AFNs). However, very little is known about UPA’s relationalbusiness models. Therefore, this paper investigates how the urban and peri-urban farms (UPFs)form business relationships in food networks. Their business and social relationships are much morecomprehensive than traditional transactional relationships. Therefore, this study aims to delimitatethe relational model of UPFs. The managers and owners of nine UPFs in Greater Poland Voivode-ship, Poland, in 2019 and 2020 were investigated. To this end, we employed a triple triangulationapproach—methodological, theoretical, and investigator. The study refers primarily to the theory ofinter-organisational relations (IORs); the empirical analysis adopts a network approach and activities–resources–actors (ARA) model framework. The study identifies UPFs business relationships andthe main features of their networks, which led to the development of a conceptual relational UPFsmodel. This shows the diversification of activities, the competitiveness of resources and formalityof organisational structures as a basis of a farm business, the integration of activities, the sharingof resources, and the collaboration of actors as the basis of the relationship. Finally, this showsthe joint nature of activities—locality of resources and mutual trust among actors—as the basis ofUPFs networking.