The Time for Macroeconomics in Municipal Food Policy

Shellye Suttles

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2019.084.023

Abstract

First paragraph: It’s interesting—I’ve never felt like so much of an outsider as being an agricultural economist working on municipal food policy. And I’m a black woman in the United States. Prior to being the food policy and program coordinator for the City of Indianapolis, I was a research economist who studied local food systems, alternative energy, and climate change. Now, as a food policy practitioner, I have found that relevant aspects of classical macroeconomic theory often go ignored in municipal food policy, particularly the concept of economic change over time. . . .

Highlights

In discussions with other food system practitioners, I am always prepared to explain the importance of incorporating economic theory into municipal food policy
While most Americans are somewhat familiar with capitalism, which is one type of macroeconomic system, a variety of macroeconomic systems exist across the globe
Economic changes are divided into time periods depending on how many economic factors change before the economy achieves equilibrium

Summary

Introduction

In discussions with other food system practitioners, I am always prepared to explain the importance of incorporating economic theory into municipal food policy. Economic changes are divided into time periods depending on how many economic factors change before the economy achieves equilibrium. The medium-run equilibrium is what happens over a decade and is defined by changes in production factors, such as labor, technology, and capital (e.g., financial capital, human capital, social capital, etc.).

Results

Conclusion