The serious problems of agrarian unsustainability cannot be solved
through technological changes that lessen environmental impacts.
Although technological change is important, it is also necessary
to change the agri-food system as a whole. Participatory action
research (PAR) is a methodological approach to collaborate with
local communities. It enables us to advance in the restructuring
of physical flows, economies, and information that support local
farming, as a means to achieve greater autonomy and self-management. This article presents several case studies in Spain in which
PAR has been applied to build local organic food networks. These
are characterized by a more sustainable use of local resources and
the development of short food supply chains.