Local Food Systems Important for Rural Community Development
A community’s culture makes it special. Yet to be sustainable, a level of economic and social cohesiveness is needed. One of the key components of a sustainable community model lies in local food consumption.
We have seen many “Buy Local” campaigns started throughout the country, but what do they really mean in terms of community?
After the industrial revolution, food sources became global. Concentration of production and processing led to concentrated wealth and efficiency. A community development problem that occurred in this paradigm was ignoring the social aspect of raising local foods.
More than consumption drove local food markets. These were gathering places for social interaction and led to a greater understanding of community.
Farmers markets were (and still are) social centers for more than economic commerce. These became great policy arenas where major decisions could be made. Acquaintances became friends and ultimately dependant on each other for survival.
Poverty became the strongest cause of food insecurity, and globalization led to greater poverty, not sustainability. As we were able to obtain more foods at different growing seasons, we became unsuspecting victims of our own greed.
We now know that these facts are indisputable:
What we need to do for the future is to preserve the community’s relationship with the food system so that residents understand what is truly at stake.
For small rural communities, a tie to local food is the cohesive bond that unifies people. It can also be a strong economic tool, but it doesn’t have to drive the project. Whether or not local food systems and markets drive economic development is not as important as what local food systems do for the social development of the community.
In the next couple of months we will look at local food systems and learn how we need to design our small rural communities to accept the markets as a community development tool and not as the economic force to sustain the community.
Contact: Michael L. Holton for more information on rural community development, michaellh@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1020.
We have seen many “Buy Local” campaigns started throughout the country, but what do they really mean in terms of community?
After the industrial revolution, food sources became global. Concentration of production and processing led to concentrated wealth and efficiency. A community development problem that occurred in this paradigm was ignoring the social aspect of raising local foods.
More than consumption drove local food markets. These were gathering places for social interaction and led to a greater understanding of community.
Farmers markets were (and still are) social centers for more than economic commerce. These became great policy arenas where major decisions could be made. Acquaintances became friends and ultimately dependant on each other for survival.
Poverty became the strongest cause of food insecurity, and globalization led to greater poverty, not sustainability. As we were able to obtain more foods at different growing seasons, we became unsuspecting victims of our own greed.
We now know that these facts are indisputable:
- All people are food insecure.
- As resources are depleted and energy costs rise, food security will increasingly become an issue.
- As poverty grows, we understand that social contracts that once held firm are now broken.
- Dependency on global food systems lead to social degradation and eventual loss of any interaction that drives culture and welfare.
What we need to do for the future is to preserve the community’s relationship with the food system so that residents understand what is truly at stake.
For small rural communities, a tie to local food is the cohesive bond that unifies people. It can also be a strong economic tool, but it doesn’t have to drive the project. Whether or not local food systems and markets drive economic development is not as important as what local food systems do for the social development of the community.
In the next couple of months we will look at local food systems and learn how we need to design our small rural communities to accept the markets as a community development tool and not as the economic force to sustain the community.
Contact: Michael L. Holton for more information on rural community development, michaellh@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1020.
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Why do you say that?
In your piece you write, "Whether or not local food systems and markets drive economic development is not as important as what local food systems do for the social development of the community."
That seems short sighted. Certainly a farmers market becomes a gathering place in a community, but without a vibrant economic driver in the community as well there is apt not to be a need for social development in the community.
While we do not spend as much as some countries on food, the amount spent, even in a small community, cannot be overlooked. Capturing that money at the local level and directing it to local farmers is and should be an important part of the local food equation.
You are right but I don't
local foods
I'm really interested in how local foods - growing, processing, storing, marketing -- can be part of economic development in a community. It seems to me we need to re-create a food system, including distribution, on a new/old scale that will keep local foods local and offer trade opportunities within and across regions. I don't know how this will be done, but I'm intrigued and hope to contribute in some small way to the process of finding the answers. In Maine, a Shared Use Kitchen Coalition has been working on this issue. Maine has some fine food producers and creative food entrepreneuers but lacks the infrastructure to support them in serving local markets more thoroughly.
I look forward to pursuing these ideas and discovering other models.
local foods/distribution infrastructure
I too am interested in being part of a new, future infrastructure for local distribution of locally grown foods, especially in bringing locally grown foods to market in suburbs and cities near local farms. I am starting to study the market in rural New Jersey, to see how local farmers are bringing their foods to market and how the market can be expanded. I'm very interested in learning more about what you are doing in Maine.
My interest stems from a desire to promote the more healthful, nutritionally valuable products of local, organic farms, over the over-processed nutritionally depleted products of commodity crops.
I wouldn't be farming without it
You can argue that it should not, but economics is the driver in today's society. And while I do truely enjoy the community aspects of my farm now that I sell most of my meat to people in and around my community, it was the greater paycheck that helped keep me and my small farm alive.
As I stated above, you are
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