Some Important Concepts: Infrastructure, community economic development, farmer-consumer relationships, urban-rural linkages, community-supported agriculture, urban growth, land trusts
Download discussion paper (same text as in links below)
Background information, basis in Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and Additional Resources
Questions for discussion:
- What programs and policy shifts are needed to support local food systems and stronger urban-rural linkages that will contribute to sustainable development and foster resilience? View discussion and comment
- What innovative tools and practices might help to better link local farmers with retailers and consumers? View discussion and comment
- How could the development of local food systems further contribute to mitigating climate change? View discussion and comment
- How might the promotion of local food systems complement international trade of agricultural commodities and the economic links between countries, and contribute towards resolving concerns raised in the global food crisis? View discussion and comment
- What formal and/or non-formal education may be needed to strengthen local food systems? View discussion and comment
- How might research and innovation contribute the development of efficient and self-sustaining local food networks? View discussion and comment
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Comments (2)
conor.dobson@... said
at 6:48 pm on Nov 10, 2008
I happened upon two articles in Friday's National Post under the title "Food Mile Myths" (http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=939434). The articles are based on a study done for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University by U of T professor Pierre Derochers and a consultant. In a nutshell the study and commentary question the view that local is necessarily food mile friendly or safer than food produced in other countries. The articles point to the complexity of elements that need to be considered when judging the attributes of local and imported food. Food for discussion in this section.
CD
DarylHepting said
at 2:05 am on Nov 13, 2008
While I agree that there are many complex issues around local food systems and urban-rural linkages, I found the article by Peter Foster (author of "Just Plain Bananas" - as it is now titled @ http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=939434) to be long on opinion. Is this Peter Foster the same one mentioned @ DeSmogBlog? Also, the Mercatus Center itself appears to have an interesting history (see sourcewatch, for example). I hope that rigorous analyses from all perspectives will become available and I look forward to ongoing discussions in this section.
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