The growing number of local agriculture initiatives and their diversity reflects the population's need to reconnect with basic values and their raising concern about sustainability. Alternative forms of (sub-) urban agriculture, such as direct selling, basket delivery services and community-supported agriculture (CSA) are developing. Are these initiatives specific, regarding “resilience” and “governance” issues? Our case study compares 5 main channels within the milk supply chain in the agglomeration of Bern: the industrial channel, the PDO Emmentaler cheese channel, the regional dairies and cheese-making units, the organic industrial channel, and the channel comprising direct selling, basket delivering & Community supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives. The analysis highlights that transformability and adaptability can occur in all channels, depending on the type of shock to be faced. Different regimes (large scale/ small scale, long /short chains, specialized / polyvalent farms) are complementary and should not be opposed.