Food as a Social Act: A Case Study of Food for Soul and the Project of the Refettorio: Social Innovation in the Context of the Food Industry

Abstract

This research addresses the study of social innovation within the field of food industry, analysing how it can contribute to social change. The purpose of this study is to investigate how a social innovative idea functions and impacts the society, through the lens of institutional theory. To address the aim of the research, this study employs the analysis of a case study. The focal case of this study is the non-profit organization Food for Soul, a cultural project with the aim of calling attention to social issues, and the project of the Refettorios, an innovative concept of soup kitchen that transform food surplus into nourishing meals in hospitable places. To get insights into how a social innovative initiative may contribute to social change, qualitative research methods have been applied to collect and analyse data. This study demonstrated that the new innovative concept of soup kitchens brought an institutional change within the food system and that, through the diffusion the social innovation among other social actors, resulted in a change of mindset regarding how a soup kitchen can function, therefore leading towards social change. Therefore, the study suggests that social innovation may contribute to social change through the diffusion of the innovative idea and its social vision by a social innovator to other possible agents of change, being able to build an alliance among them. The outcome of the research led to the development of a model that combines institutional and social entrepreneurship, explaining how the elements of the process function as enablers for the emergence of entrepreneurship to reach a divergent change. These findings and theoretical insights advance understanding of the process through which a social innovation can contribute in provoking a divergent change and how institutional change can initiate social change. Moreover, the research provides useful contributions regarding how social innovation and entrepreneurship can help address social challenges and motivate social change.