Rethinking localization--a low-income country perspective: the case of Asian vegetables in Ghana

Abstract

There are few studies that consider the localization/relocalization of food systems in low-income countries and how the social, cultural and economic dynamics of these agri-food systems compare to trends observed in high-income countries. We suggest that food systems in Ghana are localized by necessity when compared to relocalized food systems observed in high-income countries that have emerged in response to global agri-food industrialization. Food systems in Ghana are characterized by policies aimed at enhancing food security and poverty alleviation, as well as market imperfections that limit farmers' access to non-local markets. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.