Abstract
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is famous for its shrimp, oysters, and crabs. Seafood is an essential part of both the culture and the diet of coastal residents. The last five years have been hard on the seafood industry, due first to Hurricane Katrina, then the national recession, and then the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In the five years following the hurricane, all of the cities and counties on the Mississippi Gulf Coast prepared comprehensive plans covering the future of the land use, public facilities, and housing for the community for 20 or more years. This paper examines the degree to which food systems have been incorporated into the comprehensive plans developed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It finds that food systems have not been adequately integrated into the plans. The comprehensive plans for the region begin to touch on food systems, but fail to create a factual basis to support planning for those systems, such as identification of the proportion of retail food establishments that accept food assistance programs. They set limited goals to support food systems and propose limited implementation measures in support of them. While the region as a whole has not yet planned for food systems, there are instances where communities are examining the future of food. This article concludes by offering recommendations on how communities can improve their plans relative to food systems as they move into their next phase of regional planning.
Highlights
This paper examines the degree to which food systems have been incorporated into the comprehensive plans developed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Planners are engaged in siting of grocery stores. This trend was similar on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as “food system” goals tended to be focused on tourism and economic opportunity rather than food production or food security
The author expected that because food system planning is an emerging issue for professional planners, the level of inclusion of food system elements in the Gulf Coast comprehensive plans evaluated would be low, as they relate to issues such as food security
Summary
Its objectives include improving food access, promoting community gardening, promoting farmers’ markets, and developing a land bank to bring vacant and abandoned properties into agriculturally productive use (Harrison County, 2008). Many of the implementation strategies are from an economic development perspective, including improving physical facilities and implementing land use policies to support working waterfronts. A number of the communities, including Hancock County, Harrison County, and Biloxi, identified land use as an opportunity to support the seafood industry through working waterfronts (Hancock County, 2008). The implementation efforts were focused on community gardens, urban agriculture, and farmers’ markets (City of Bay St. Louis, 2008; City of Biloxi, 2009; City of Moss Point, 2009; Harrison County, 2008; Jackson County, 2009).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
