What is it about?

This article explains how small craft breweries in Australia, Colombia, and France adapted during the COVID-19 crisis. Based on interviews and regional case studies, it shows how breweries faced disrupted sales, supply chains, and customer routines, but also strengthened local networks, community ties, and more place-based ways of working. The article describes these changes as “emergent degrowth”: practical responses that value resilience, locality, and quality rather than simply expanding production.

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Why is it important?

The study is important because it challenges the idea that recovery after a crisis must always mean returning to growth. In these craft beer regions, breweries adapted by relying more on local relationships, flexible sales channels, cultural identity, and community support. This can help researchers, regional policymakers, and small-business support organizations think about resilience in ways that include social, environmental, and cultural value. The findings are based on selected regional case studies, so they should be read as context-specific evidence.

Perspectives

As one of the authors, I see this article as a way to understand how small and culturally embedded businesses respond to disruption. The Colombian case is especially meaningful because it shows how a micro-scale brewery in Bucaramanga can remain connected to local culture, independent venues, and loyal customers despite operating in a highly concentrated beer market. I hope readers see craft beer not only as a product, but also as part of regional identity, social connection, and alternative development pathways.

Mr Leonardo Hernan Talero-Sarmiento
Universidad Autonoma de Bucaramanga

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Brewing degrowth: regional adaptations to COVID-19 in the craft beer sector, Contemporary Social Science, June 2026, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/21582041.2026.2679515.
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