In our study we highlight the potential role of alternative food systems in local economic and community development through connecting literatures and good examples. We are focusing on a special short food supply chain form, named "buying groups". These sales channels are an alternative and innovative type of Community Supported Agriculture. Buying groups are grass-roots initiatives that support local food production and sales. Farmers and their buyers are a community, so that cooperation is beneficial to both the producer and the consumer. The primary advantage of the producer is that it can build up a direct and long-term relationship with its customers, locally sell its quality products, so it can operate cost-effectively and optimally. The consumers' advantage is that they are able to acquire food from healthy and safe sources, contributing to the preservation of their health and the development of the local economy. These good practices can fundamentally reform the increasingly globalizing consumer behaviour, strengthen identity and community spirit. Buying groups are still in their infancy in our country but have latent potential for stimulating many local economies and tourism. We would like to give an overview of the main results of our primary research conducted among members of Hungarian Alternative Food Buying Groups. In order to explore the sociometrics and lifestyles of communities, we revealed general consumer behaviour, the consumer types based on food buying behaviour, the demand and attitude of local food by using questionnaire survey.