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Planning for Community Food Systems
By Rebecca Roberts,
Land Use Specialist, Center for Land Use Education
"There is a quiet revolution stirring in
our food system. It is not happening so much on the distant farms that
still provide us with the majority of our food; it is happening in
cities, neighborhoods, and towns. It is a movement that has the
potential to address a multitude of issues: economic, environmental,
personal health, and cultural."1
Food is one of the basic essentials of
life. It plays a primary role in shaping human health, culture,
traditions, local economies, the environment, and the communities in
which we live. Yet, few stop to consider these interactions. How does
food shape our lives, our neighborhoods, our communities, and the way in
which we use our land? How do our decisions influence the types of food
that are available, accessible and affordable to local populations? Are
there changes that need to be made to these systems? This article will
attempt to define a community food system; provide reasons why planners,
local decision-makers and communities should start thinking more
seriously about food systems; and offer a process to plan for community
food systems. The accompanying articles will move beyond planning for
food systems and introduce some specific land use tools and strategies
for strengthening community food systems.
What Is a Community Food System?
A food system refers to "the chain of
activities connecting food production, processing, distribution and
access, consumption, and waste management, as well as all the associated
supporting and regulatory institutions and activities."2 A
community food system weds the concept of a food system to a particular
place. Community food systems have been defined to encompass relatively
small areas, such as neighborhoods, and progressively larger areas, such
as towns, villages, cities, counties, regions, and bioregions.3
Why Plan for Food Systems?
As consumer interest in local foods has
risen, so too has the interest of planners and other professionals.
Individuals in diverse fields such as public health, nutrition,
education, agriculture and economic development bring unique interests,
issues and resources to bear on this discussion and all have a role to
play in advancing the issue. The American Planning Association2, 4
offers the following reasons to plan for community food systems:
-
Community Design.
The food system takes up significant urban and rural land in
activities related to agriculture, industry, wholesale, retail, and
waste management. These land uses and their spatial relationships
are crucial to the quality of places and communities, as well as
their economic vitality, ecological health, sense of place, and
quality of community life.
-
 Public
Health. Food is vital to the public health, safety, and welfare
of residents. Hunger and obesity co-exist in communities, and are on the
rise. Land use and transportation policies, including the promotion of
neighborhood-level markets, public transit, and walkable communities can
help ensure widespread access to affordable and nutritious food.
-
Farmland Loss. Loss of
farmland due to urban and suburban conversion, particularly mid-sized
farms, threatens rural communities and traditional land stewardship
practices. Retirements among farmers, high land costs, and limited
profitability are speeding the conversion of farmland and discouraging
younger generations from entering the industry.
-
Local Economy. Globalization of food industries means that
food comes increasingly from more distant sources. Large food companies
are able to out-compete local producers and processors with negative
implications for the local tax base and employment. As people lose their
connection with local food and agriculture, it becomes more difficult to
preserve the land and infrastructure upon which local agriculture, and
oftentimes the local economy, rests.
-
Environmental Quality.
Some practices associated with conventional farming can negatively
impact air, water, wildlife habitat and other aspects of environmental
quality. Industrial livestock facilities, for example, may release
odors, dust, pathogens, and toxic chemicals contributing to air
pollution and public health concerns. Agricultural runoff in the form of
fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, animal wastes and sediments
can degrade lakes, rivers and groundwater quality. Loss of native
vegetation to farmland reduces wildlife habitat and other valuable
ecosystem services such as flood control and groundwater recharge.
-
 Energy
and Waste. The food we eat consumes a considerable amount of
energy to produce, process and transport. It can take as much as 10
fossil fuel calories to produce a single food calorie. In the United
States, food travels an average of 1,400 miles before it reaches our
dinner table. Food wastes and packaging comprise approximately 20-30
percent of all solid waste, much of which is transported over long
distances to landfills. Local and regional food distribution systems,
combined with composting programs and efforts to reduce food packaging,
can help combat inefficient use of land and energy resources.
How Do We Plan For Food Systems?
Local efforts to strengthen community food systems often share two
common elements: a structure for involving local citizens, professionals
and decision-makers, and a process for examining and moving forward with
food system issues.
-
Structure. Communities have utilized a variety of
structures and organizations - both formal and informal - to channel
local involvement and expertise to food planning efforts. Groups of
interested citizens, farmers, business owners and others have been
actively meeting in many communities to discuss food system issues,
sharing concerns ranging from health and the environment to personal
livelihoods. These groups often represent the pulse of a community
and are responsible for bringing food system issues to the forefront
of thought and discussion. Over time, some have gathered significant
political momentum and have transformed into non-profit
organizations or local government advisory bodies.
Most communities also contain non-profit
and special interest groups that are addressing food-related issues
through hunger prevention coalitions, healthy eating campaigns or
community gardening associations, to name a few. Though narrowly focused
in scope, these groups can help raise awareness regarding food system
issues and channel important expertise and resources to the table. At
the local government level, formal food policy councils, plan
commissions and advisory committees are increasingly involved in
advisory and policy-making capacities to guide food system development
efforts.
-
Planning Process. A
range of processes have been used to generate interest surrounding food
system issues and elicit the vision, values and knowledge of local
people. While some efforts could be characterized as informal,
grass-roots, or narrowly-focused, others have sought the input of
diverse groups, tackled a range of complex issues, and have been
formally sponsored by local organizations or municipalities.
Wisconsin's comprehensive planning
program provides an important opportunity for communities to think about
local food systems.
Figure 1 identifies potential food system planning issues within the
context of the nine "elements" or topics which must be considered within
a comprehensive plan.
Figures 2 and 3, respectively, provide examples of goals,
objectives, actions and policies contained in the City of Madison
Comprehensive Plan and the Sustainable Chequamegon Strategic Plan. These
examples hint at the range of food system issues that can be considered
through local planning processes.
Conclusion
A variety of individuals, acting together, are needed to plan for
community food systems. Citizen members serving on local governments,
plan commissions, community food policy councils, and non-profit boards
and organizations are needed to help bring food system issues to the
forefront of community dialogue and decision-making. Professionals in
diverse fields such as public health, nutrition, education, agriculture,
economic development and planning will be needed to help provide data,
resources and expertise related to their particular fields. Planners and
other land use professionals, for example, have ready access to
important community data and information, and also have significant
influence over community plans and related policies and regulations.
Extension educators, for their part, are poised to help make connections
between various government, community groups and professions. All of
these groups can play a key role in strengthening or hindering local
food system development.
1 Ableman, Michael. "The Quiet Revolution: Urban Agriculture
- Feeding the Body, Feeding the Soul."
In Kimbrell, Andrew, Ed. (2002).
Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture. Foundation for
Deep Ecology.
2 Born, Brandon, et al. (2005).
Food
Systems Planning White Paper. Prepared by the American Planning
Association�s Food System Planning Committee for the Legislative &
Policy Committee.
3 Wilkins, Jennifer and Marcia Eames-Sheavly. (No date).
"A Primer on Community Food Systems: Linking
Food, Nutrition and Agriculture."
Discovering the Food System.
Cornell University.
4 American Planning Association. (2007).
Policy Guide on Community and Regional Food Planning.
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