Urban farming as competitive resource in food services: an evaluation through the resource-based view theory

Abstract

This article is a study about the allocation of urban agriculture (UA) as a competitive resource to restaurants. The world population has become increasingly urban and shows increasing concern by the quality of food consumed. Thus, owners and chefs of restaurants aim to acquire locally grown food or even grow them in their own establishments, in order to guarantee food with high nutritional value and freshness. Based on this context, the objective is to assess the impact of urban agriculture in the competitiveness of a restaurant that uses the urban cultivation of food as one of the key elements featured in their services. This research is a case study of a qualitative approach and descriptive. The case investigated is a restaurant located in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which introduced the practice of UA on its premises. The data were obtained through documentary research, semi-structured interviews, and direct observation and were analyzed by categorization of information and data triangulation to later be evaluated through the VRIO model. The results point to the development of competitive advantage through the UA when combined with conceptual and technological elements.