Close to Home: The Drive for Local Food

Abstract

One popular approach in the recent discussion around sustainable food systems has been to encourage a shift to locally and regionally produced food. The logic of doing this is multifold: locally produced food is good for the environment, helps a regional economy thrive, and provides a greater connection between people, their food, and those who produce it, which should also lead to equitable labor practices and greater food security and access. Yet for all of the benefits of a locally based food system, there are certain problematic elements inherent to some of these claims. In this paper I link these social, economic, and environmental elements through a review of what we know about locally based food systems as a function of sustainable agriculture. A careful examination of the literature shows that although local food systems hold considerable promise, they are not inherent mechanisms of sustainability.

Indicators of Complexity and Over-complexification in Global Food Systems

“…The case for over-complexification is further compelling when considering recent trends of resistance against such new technologies as genetic modification, as well as in the proliferation of alternative food movements (AFM) (Rótolo et al, 2015;Trivette, 2012;Witter & Stoll, 2017). These movements, which include a diverse tapestry of social actions, align with the pattern described by Tainter where people respond to diminishing returns and inefficiencies by rejecting complex solutions in favor of simpler ones.…”

Seafood as Local Food: Food Security and Locally Caught Seafood on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula

“…Finally, when describing local food systems, opportunities, and options, Trivette (2012) emphasizes the important element of intentionality: that local food should be "intended for consumption within the same area that it is produced…rather than simply incorporating food that is available in a particular area" (p. 5). Admittedly, seafood as most Americans currently procure it does not necessarily meet this requirement; commercial seafood is not produced locally in the same sense that agricultural products are, but rather is caught in the open ocean, often far away from shore.…”

“…However, as the de rigeuer alternative to the dominant system, people too easily assume a variety of positive outcomes from local food movements, including, for example, that they are more environmentally sustainable, that they produce healthier foods, and that they are more amenable to positive foodsecurity and social-justice outcomes. These assumptions are not without justification, but they are often uncritically accepted as fact; it is more accurate, perhaps, to understand food security and environmental sustainability as possible rather than inevitable outcomes of local and small-scale food systems (Born & Purcell, 2006;Tregear, 2011;Trivette, 2012). Thus, reflexive research on both the successes and failures of local food movements is critical if the field is to move forward.…”

Regenerative food systems and the conservation of change

“…Attempts to build alternative food systems that address environmental issues like climate change while also doing a better job of providing people with sufficient, safe, and culturally appropriate food are well underway in a variety of locales (Trivette 2012 ; Witter and Stoll 2017 ; IPES-Food 2020 ). Local and Indigenous food movements, regenerative grazing, cellular agriculture, and digital agriculture are some of the noteworthy ways that people are pursuing innovation and reform, though the specific aims, scope, and merits of these strategies are heavily contested (Fraser et al 2016 ; Rotz et al 2019 ).…”