scholarly journals A REPLICABLE MODEL FOR VALUING LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEVEN R. MILLER ◽  
JOHN MANN ◽  
JUDITH BARRY ◽  
TOM KALCHIK ◽  
RICH PIROG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Processed Foods ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Economic Contribution ◽  
Consistent Approach

AbstractWe use the underlying data of the IMPLAN Pro 3.0 regional economic simulation model to estimate the current economic contribution of Michigan's local food system and explore the chain of transactions giving rise to consumption of locally sourced goods from producer to processor to consumption. The proposed methodology includes both unprocessed and processed foods in the estimation of the local food system's economic value. The model also provides a replicable and consistent approach to estimating the value of local food systems within regional and state economies.

scholarly journals Framing a Sustainable Local Food System—How Smaller Cities in Southern Germany Are Facing a New Policy Issue

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Baldy
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
Southern Germany ◽  
Local Food System

Since Agenda 21, the local level has become important in terms of facing global challenges through local action. One of these is ensuring the sustainability of the food system. In German politics, this is a relatively new issue even at the local level. Nevertheless, two smaller cities in southern Germany have decided to change their local food systems towards sustainability. Hence, this paper deals with questions of how local actors are framing the food system and what this means for increasing sustainability. The analysis of qualitative interviews and participant observations based on frame analysis provides deeper insights into understandings of local food systems by actors. This paper aims to explore how framings of problems, solutions and motivations provide or restrict opportunities to increase local food system sustainability. Terms like sustainability or awareness are framed differently. Using the same term to mean different things can have negative effects on the acceptance of policymaking referring to food system transformation. Besides, this paper shows that omissions within the framing counteract the development of sustainable local food policy. Hence, it is important to reflect the political implications of absent framings as well to facilitate mutual understanding and consequently, food system change.

scholarly journals Women’s participation in the local food system and implications for their dietary quality in rural Northern Ghana: A qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sawudatu Zakariah-Akoto ◽  
Richhmond Aryeetey ◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Local Food System

Abstract Background Women’s activities within local food systems are linked with their dietary quality. Their ability to achieve a nutritious diet is often limited by socio-cultural norms, which have not been adequately studied. This study examined socio-cultural norms linked with rural food systems and their adverse effects on women’s diets. Methods The study was conducted in two rural communities, Yilkpene and Kpachilo, in Northern Ghana between May and July 2016. Sixteen key informant interviews (KII) with community and institutional leaders, and eleven focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members were used to explore the nature of the food system, (production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption), and how it is influenced by socio-cultural norms. Transcribed interviews were coded and analysed thematically, using inductive reasoning. Results The components of the food system in both communities were constructed, primarily, around men. Quantities, quality, and varieties of produce, distribution/marketing, and intra-household allocation were strongly dominated by male perceptions and practices about access and ownership of productive resources, and roles and responsibilities of household members. Men dominated in the production of cereals, and legumes, while women mainly produced/harvested vegetables and fruits, and limited quantities of legumes that have low economic value. Men sell their produce at higher market prices, at urban markets; women rarely sell their vegetables; it is preserved and stored for home consumption. Women’s produce were often sold at farm gates or local markets at lower prices, for income to supplement household diets. Men are responsible for allocating staple foods used in the household for meal preparation to women; women are expected to provide other ingredients needed to accompany the supply of staple food provided by men. Although women prepare household meals, men receive lion’s share of nutrient-dense portions of meals. Conclusion The local food system is heavily dominated by gender-driven socio-cultural norms, which constitute a barrier to women achieving dietary adequacy. Interventions are needed to improve women’s diets; such interventions should deliberately address these culturally-established barriers, in contexts where subsistence farming is the main source of livelihood.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF SMALL FARMS IN LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

2019 ◽  
Vol XXI (4) ◽  
pp. 600-611
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Żmija ◽  
Marta Czekaj ◽  
Dariusz Żmija
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Safety Control ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Food Quality And Safety ◽  
Oriented Activity

The goal of this paper is to recognize the desired prospective role of small farms in local food systems as well as identify the directions of future-oriented activity for its implementation. The empirical data for the study was provided as a result of workshops hosted in the Rzeszowski subregion in 2019, attended by the stakeholders of the local food system. The methodology of the studies was based on the concept of foresight research, using the backcasting technique. For the purpose of formulating the visions of the desired prospective role of small farms in local food systems, the workshops participants determined their potential future roles in the subsystem of production, processing and consumption of food in the subregion, while, above all, recognizing them in reference to production, processing and providing the consumer with food of the highest quality. The aforementioned roles have been determined as being under-implemented. The recommended areas of activities for increasing the share of small farms in local food systems were identified as: legislation, institutional conditions, consultancy, financial support and farm cooperation, food quality and safety control, promotion of local food products and consumer education.

scholarly journals Activating the local food system in emergency food response

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Andy Ollove ◽  
Samiha Hamdi
Keyword(s):  
Food Access ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Food Response ◽  
History Of ◽  
Local Farmers

Resilient local food systems are a necessary component to keep our communities healthy, especially during times of emergency. With a history of supporting local farmers and food access in less-resourced communities, Fresh Approach was in a prime position at the time of shelter-in-place orders to pivot our efforts to emergency food relief in this time of uncertainty. By collaborating and mobilizing resources, Fresh Approach was able to strengthen existing connections with small farmers, build new relationships with other food access nonprofits, and support families in need by providing them with farm-fresh, local, and healthy produce. We outline how these partnerships and collective efforts have fortified a resilient and transformative food system in our area.

The public plate in the transnational city: Tensions among food procurement, global trade and local legislation

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-42
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sumner ◽  
Hayley Lapalme
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Playing Field

Local food systems are crucial to sustainability, and one of the most effective ways to develop them is to harness the buying power of large public institutions, such as hospitals and universities.  Steering public funds toward local food systems, however, is not as easy as it might appear.  Institutions must navigate a maze of regulations that can become significant barriers to effecting change.  In Ontario, for example, public institutions are squeezed between two contradictory policies: the Broader Public Sector Directive, which mandates a level playing field and prohibits preferential buying based on geography, and the Local Food Act, which aims to increase the consumption of local food (with a specific focus on procurement in Ontario public institutions) and to foster successful and resilient local food economies and systems.  Adding to this tension, global trade treaties are drilling down to the local level, proscribing preferential procurement of local food as “protectionist” and a barrier to trade.    Public institutions are caught in the middle, wanting to purchase more local products but unwilling to risk reprisals.  This paper investigates these tensions by reporting on a recent study of institutional buyers and government officials in the Toronto area to understand more thoroughly these barriers to operationalizing a local food system, while recognizing that sustainable food systems require a judicious combination of ‘local and green’ and ‘global and fair’ (Morgan 2008).

scholarly journals Practicing mundane consumer resistance in the REKO local food system

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Leipämaa-Leskinen
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Consumer Resistance ◽  
Food Network ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to answer two research questions, namely, what kinds of mundane resistance practices emerge in the local food system and which spatial, material and social elements catalyse the resistance practices. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a post-humanist practice approach and focusses on exploring the agentic capacity of socio-material elements to generate resistance practices. The data were generated through a multi-method approach of interviews, field observations and Facebook discussions collected between 2014 and 2017. Findings The empirical context is the rejäl konsumtion local food network in Finland. The analysis presents two types of resisting practices – resisting facelessness and resisting carelessness – which are connected to spatial, material and social elements. Research limitations/implications The study focusses on one local food system, highlighting the socio-material structuring of resistance in this specific cultural setting. Practical implications The practical implications highlight that recognising the socio-material elements provides tools for better engagement of consumer actors with local food systems. Originality/value The study adds to the extant research by interweaving the consumer resistance literature and local food systems discussions with the neo-material approach. The findings present a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which consumer resistance is actualised in a non-recreational, mundane context of consumption. Consequently, the study offers new insights into the agentic socio-material actors structuring the local food system.

Social enterprise, sustainability and community in post-earthquake Christchurch

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Berno
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Post Disaster

Purpose Since 4 September 2010, the greater Christchurch region has endured a series of destructive earthquakes. As a result, food resilience, as a component of community resilience, has become highly relevant. This paper aims to explore the role of social entrepreneurs and the local food system in building community resilience. Design/methodology/approach Using a quasi-case study method, four social enterprise food initiatives are presented to illustrate conceptually how these local food systems contribute to community resilience in the post-earthquake context in Christchurch. Findings The results suggest that a generation of social entrepreneurs have emerged, giving rise to networked local food system initiatives that share the common goals of building multiple and unique forms of capital (human, social, natural, financial and physical). In doing so, they have contributed to creating conditions that support community resilience as both a process and an outcome in post-earthquake Christchurch. Research limitations/implications This research included only four enterprises as the case study, all located in central Christchurch. As such, the results are indicative and may not represent those found in other contexts. Practical implications The research suggests that social entrepreneurs make a significant contribution to both enhancing food security and building community resilience post-disaster. How policy infrastructure can empower and enable entrepreneurs’ post-disaster warrants further consideration. Social implications Collectively, the four enterprises included in the research were found to have created local solutions in response to local problems. This embeddedness with and responsiveness to the community is a characteristic of resilient communities. Originality/value Post-earthquake Christchurch is a living laboratory in relation to understanding community resilience. The processes by which it is occurring, how it is sustained over time and the shapes it will take in the future in such a dynamic environment are not yet understood. This paper contributes to understanding local food systems as part of this process.

scholarly journals Are Local Food Systems Vectors of Sustainable Choices?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-82
Author(s):  
Corina Ene ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Special Kind ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Nutritional Needs ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
The Way

In the last few years, but even more so given the context the COVID-19 pandemic, a large series of global and local changes have occurred in all areas of life, including the way food is perceived and procured. The orientation towards local food as a preferred choice has gained more followers which are interested in economic, social and environmental effects of the way the world uses all kinds of resources to meet its nutritional needs. Local food involves a special kind of food systems approach in terms of determining factors and resulting implications for all actors involved. The paper deals with emphasizing different aspects of local food systems, including both agri-food producers and consumer’s drivers together with the effects of rethinking the way people choose to procure their food. The link to sustainable development is clearly highlighted using the multiple implications of this agri-food system upon different sectors and dimensions.

scholarly journals Making Food-Systems Policy for Local Interests and Common Good

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colene J. Lind ◽  
Monica L. Reeves
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Rhetorical Argumentation

The unjust distribution of poor health outcomes produced via current United States food systems indicates the need for inclusive and innovative policymaking at the local level. Public health and environmental organizers are seeking to improve food environments from the ground up with locally driven policy initiatives but since 2010 have increasingly met resistance via state-government preemption of local policymaking power. This analysis seeks to understand how political actors on both sides of preemption debates use rhetorical argumentation. In doing so, we offer insights to the meaning-making process specific to food systems. We argue that advocates for local food-system innovations are forwarding understandings of food and community that contradict the policy goals they seek. We offer suggestions for local food and environmental advocates for adjusting their arguments.

scholarly journals Practicing Fair and Sustainable Local Food Systems: Elements of Food Citizenship in the Simeto River Valley

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Gina Rico Mendez ◽  
Giusy Pappalardo ◽  
Bryan Farrell
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Food Citizenship

This paper examines a community-based food system which emerged recently around the Simeto River Valley Agreement (SRA) in Sicily (Italy) through the lens of food citizenship. The concept of food citizenship develops an understanding of how food systems function to ensure that individuals and communities have agency, access, and engagement with their food. It allows for comparative analysis between global/industrial and community/alternative systems. This paper follows a methodological integration between action research and a case study approach. The action research process produced a networked governance structure derived from multiple initiatives which are currently initiating many thematic projects—amongst them, a local food system. Results indicate that formalizing governance structures derived from self-organizing behavior have led to an inclusive platform with a shared vision and goals. The governing structures, however, require continued efforts and capacity to engage collaboratively in implementing their strategic plans. Findings suggest that actors developing a food citizenship-focused system should (1) consider how the governance organizational structure enables fluid communication among members and leads to building trust, (2) seek alternatives to engage youth (especially in rural areas) and promote citizen engagement, and (3) develop strategies to seek technical and programmatic support for initiatives. These three aspects are key features which may be adapted to other such efforts in sustainable and local food systems. The complex networked approach to governance presented here and the shared vision for sustainability are considered key elements in fostering a successful alternative food system with the fundamentals of food citizenship at its core.

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