Local Food Systems

What is the official US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) definition of "local food"?

• Food that was produced and sold within a state

• Food that was produced within a 400 mile radius

• Food that was produced by a small farm and sold in-season directly to the consumer

• The USDA has no official definition of "local food"

Local food systems have impacts on social, economic, and environmental factors. These three factors are a big part of something we touched on earlier in this class. Which is it?

• Edible landscape systems

• Sustainability

• Cycles of activity

• Purpose and design

What are the 3 main values generally considered in perceptions of local food?

• Environmental, economic, nutritional

• Equitable, accessible, affordable

• Sustainable, profitable, nutritional

• Fresh, unprocessed, chemical-free

What is the most likely reason the concept of "local food" differs so much on federal, state, city, and other levels?

• Food system laws differ across the country

• Each one is dealing with a different scale in terms of distance

• Each has a different purpose behind what embodies the concept of "local food"

• Governments at the various levels refuse to agree on a definition

Which of these tend to be features of a local food system?

• Environmental stewardship

• Connecting producers and consumers

• Economic opportunities for farmers

• Bringing products from around the world to our local markets

What is a foodshed?

• A location where underprivileged citizens can purchase locally produced food

• A centralized location where farmers bring their food to sell

• A structure on a farm where produce is stored before it goes to market

• The geographic area that supplies a population with food

In what two ways is the concept of a foodshed used in understanding and discussing food systems?

• A tool for understanding the flow of food in the food system

• A framework for envisioning alternatives to our current food system

• A tool for determining marketing strategies for local products

• A tool for measuring the average distance our food travels

The concept of foodshed was first introduced to understand:

• The food needs of rural areas

• The food needs of large cities

• The food needs of developing countries

• The environmental impacts of the food system

Most of our current foodsheds are considered:

• Local

• Regional

• National

• Global

How are foodsheds and watersheds similar?

• Both describe the flow of a substance from its origin to its ultimate destination

• Both are used to visualize transportation of goods

• Both have clearly defined boundaries based on geographic features

• Both are used in food system research