Local Food Systems Research Articles

Trajectories of resilience to acute malnutrition in the Kenyan drylands

IntroductionInsight into the resilience of local food systems—variability driven by climate, conflict, and food price shocks—is critical for the treatment and prevention of child acute malnutrition.MethodsWe use a combination of latent class mixed modeling and time-to-event analysis to develop and test a measure of resilience that is outcome-based, sensitive to specific shocks and stressors, and captures the enduring effects of how frequently and severely children face the risk of acute malnutrition.ResultsHarnessing a high-resolution longitudinal dataset with anthropometric information on 5,597 Kenyan households for the 2016–20 period, we identify resilience trajectories for 141 wards across Kenya. These trajectories—characterized by variation in the duration and severity of episodes of acute malnutrition—are associated with differential risk: (1) some 57% of wards exhibit an increasing trajectory—high household risk despite growing resilience; (2) 39% exhibit chronic characteristics—showing no real signs of recovery after an episode of crisis; (3) 3% exhibit robust characteristics—low variability with low-levels of individual household risk; whereas (4) 1% show a steady decrease in resilience—associated with high levels household risk.DiscussionOur findings highlight the importance of measuring resilience at the ward-level in order to better understand variation in the nutritional status of rural households.

Preferences of Food Consumption - Local Food vs Organic Food

Objective: The purpose of this research is to understand the change in food consumption patterns of consumers of organic food especially after the pandemic. Theoretical framework: This study draws suggestions from attitude-behaviour relationship model. The internal factors are - attitudes towards local food, and attitudes towards supporting the local economy, while the external factors are - high price and trust issues related to organic food. Method: Data from organic food consumers was quantitatively analysed using multiple regression in SPSS. A seven point Likert scale was considered to measure the responses and a Cronbach alpha score of 0.8 indicated that the constructs were reliable. Results and conclusion: The findings suggest organic food consumers who have an attitude towards local food consumption and an attitude to support local economy have positive intention towards local food purchase. Also the high price and trust issues related to organic food positively influence the intention to purchase local food. Implications of the research: This study uncovers the changes in food consumption pattern during and after the pandemic. COVID-19 has affected people financially too and affordability has become a key. Marketers will have to come up with affordable solutions to market healthy food. Originality/value: The shift in consumers' preference from organic to local has implications for the environment and the society. Local food is found to be sustainable, healthy and less expensive. Local food systems cater to food traceability and high food safety.

Seeing Green: Lifecycles of an Arctic Agricultural Frontier☆

AbstractImaginaries of empty, verdant lands have long motivated agricultural frontier expansion. Today, climate change, food insecurity, and economic promise are invigorating new agricultural frontiers across the circumpolar north. In this article, I draw on extensive archival and ethnographic evidence to analyze mid‐twentieth‐century and recent twenty‐first‐century narratives of agricultural development in the Northwest Territories, Canada. I argue that the early frontier imaginary is relatively intact in its present lifecycle. It is not simply climactic forces that are driving an emergent northern agricultural frontier, but rather the more diffuse and structural forces of capitalism, governmental power, settler colonialism, and resistance to those forces. I also show how social, political, and infrastructural limits continue to impede agricultural development in the Northwest Territories and discuss how smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities differently situate agricultural production within their local food systems. This paper contributes to critical debates in frontiers and northern agriculture literature by foregrounding the contested space between the state‐driven and dominant public narratives underpinning frontier imaginaries, and the social, cultural, and material realities that constrain them on a Northwest Territories agricultural frontier.

Towards a sustainable agri-food ecosystem: the case study of South Korean public food procurement

PurposePublic food procurement (PFP) plays an important role in establishing agri-food systems. The study explores local food system stakeholders' response to PFP interventions by addressing the question of how PFP transforms agri-food systems and how this new agri-food ecosystem is governed.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents and discusses a unique case study of Jeonbuk, a rural province in South Korea, which successfully transformed its agri-food system into an ecosystem through its sustainability-oriented innovations (SOIs) among born ecopreneur farmers. This case not only offers insights into a novel way to create value chains through legislative, executive and judicial governance but also extends the body of knowledge on agri-food systems by introducing the concept of an agri-food ecosystem.FindingsThe findings indicate the importance of the ecosystem governance and knowledge exchange among internal and external ecosystem stakeholders. In particular, PFP institutions play a crucial role in facilitating the operation of public meal centers and cooperation among actors.Practical implicationsTaking an ecosystem lens to agri-food systems may offer agricultural cooperatives a wider perspective and better understanding of the governance structures necessary to successfully execute public interventions. Lastly, the Korean case differs from other developing countries, but its role model qualities could help to implement successful school meal programs elsewhere.Originality/valueThis paper reviewed and applied a conceptual framework aimed at identifying the role of PFP institutions in the value chain governance by studying a case study of a South Korean local school meal program. The study further extends the agricultural cooperatives research and contributes to a better understanding of the role of a municipality and an agri-food intermediary in the governance process involving producers and kitchens.

Opportunities to strengthen trade policy for food and nutrition security: an analysis of two agricultural trade policy decisions

Food insecurity and the double burden of malnutrition have emerged as prevailing global health challenges of the twenty-first century. These have been influenced by trade policy decisions, particularly in relation to agriculture, which are highly political and can have large effects on global, national, and local food systems. The aim of this study was to analyse two multilateral trade policy decisions relevant to food and nutrition security, to understand the political and power dynamics in the spaces in which these decisions are being made at the global level, in order to strengthen trade-related food systems governance to improve population nutrition. This qualitative policy analysis drew on data from a targeted literature and policy review, as well as in-depth interviews with eight individuals with expert knowledge and/or involvement in the case studies. The analysis focussed on policy processes and power dynamics, drawing on two frameworks from political science. This study found that power dynamics were shifting, such that developing countries had more of a voice at these multilateral negotiations, and decisions reflected growing resistance from developing countries who were unable to protect their most vulnerable. Contextual factors such as level of food insecurity, socio-economic situation, and historical institutional processes at the World Trade Organisation, were influential in shaping actor agendas. The study suggests that engagement with the historical context of agricultural trade policy, the global spaces in which these policy decisions take place, and creating strong coalitions will be essential to create sustainable and equitable future food systems.

Longitudinal analysis of home food production and food sharing behavior in Japan: multiple benefits of local food systems and the recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Home food production and sharing (home consumption) make up a local community-based food system that has become a custom closely tied to people’s daily life and culture across Japan. In this study, nationwide questionnaire surveys were conducted in 2015 and 2021 to investigate the status and trends of non-commercial home food consumption in Japan. We were also able to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which commenced at the beginning of 2020 in Japan. It was found that a wide variety of foods and many different species of food are part of home consumption. In addition, the amount of home production and the amount shared with close neighbors and friends via social networks is higher in agricultural areas than in urban areas. The amount of home production was slightly higher and the amount shared with others slightly lower in 2021 compared with 2015, suggesting that COVID-19 may have limited the sharing activities that also connect people. Meanwhile, the majority of respondents who were directly asked about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the survey in 2021 answered “no change”, suggesting a resilient system even under the pressures of the pandemic. Moreover, there has been an uptake in home food production and sharing amongst younger generations, men, and people living in urban areas. These customs and lifestyles are embedded in Japanese culture, helping to produce a sustainable and resilient food system. This home consumption system has the potential to contribute to various global challenges in the form of nature-based solutions which help meet the targets of the sustainable development goals, in particular a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and the promotion of health, well-being and social relations. We discuss future research challenges for a more resource-efficient, inclusive, and sustainable growth model that includes home consumption.

Food system resilience during COVID-19

Over the last 70 years, Canadian agriculture has shifted from many small farms that supplied local residents, to fewer large farms designed to maximize production, reduce cost, and target international markets. At present, small local food chains exist as a small fraction of the Canadian food system. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of local producers was valued by Canadians. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the role that local producers played in maintaining food system resilience during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were particularly interested in identifying adaptation strategies and factors that contributed to (enabled) or worked against (constrained) increasing local food system resilience (i.e. the perseverance of farms and farm production). We also examined the accessibility and sufficiency of current agriculture supports. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Antigonish Farmers’ Market (AFM) producers. Challenges identified include system bottlenecks, increased costs, increased demand, changes in sales, and the need for online literacy. In response to these challenges, AFM producers demonstrated a high degree of adaptability. Half of the study participants accessed agriculture-support related to COVID-19. Other participants expressed discontent with the suitability and accessibility of current support programs available. Opportunities to increase local food system resilience include increasing local support, promoting AFM collaboration, and tailoring agriculture support for small, diversified, local farmers.

Boş Arazilerin Kentsel Tarım için Kullanılması: Kentsel Tarıma CBS Tabanlı Bir Yaklaşım

The study aims to determine the urban agriculture potential of vacant lands in the city center of Usak, Turkey, and to create a GIS-based urban agriculture inventory. Our analysis focuses on available vacant lands of the municipally-owned lands, foundation lands, public properties, forest lands, and pasture lands within the boundaries of the implementary development plan of the city center of Usak. The optimal urban agriculture map was created using GIS and considered different categories of urban agriculture, including small-scale agriculture, large-scale agriculture, community gardens, and impervious surface or poor soil urban agriculture. The study results showed a significant amount of vacant lands in Usak suitable for urban agriculture, with 7.32 ha being highly suitable, 80.58 ha moderately suitable, and 110.94 ha marginally suitable. Results indicate that vacant lands in the city can be utilized for urban agriculture, which can provide numerous benefits to the local food system.

Conference on 'Sustainable nutrition for a healthy life'.

Nutrition scientists are currently facing a substantial challenge: to feed the world population sustainably and ethically while supporting the health of all individuals, animals and the environment. The Nutrition Society of Australia's 2022 Annual Scientific meeting theme 'Sustainable nutrition for a healthy life' was a timely conference focusing on the environmental impact of global, national and local food systems, how nutrition science can promote sustainable eating practices while respecting cultural and culinary diversity and how to ensure optimal nutrition throughout life to prevent and manage chronic diseases. Comprehensive, diverse, collaborative and forward-thinking research was presented in a 3 d programme of keynote presentations, oral and poster sessions, breakfast and lunch symposiums, ending with a panel discussion to answer the question of how we can best achieve a nutritious food supply that supports human and planetary health. We concluded that this complex issue necessitates coordinated efforts and multi-faceted responses at local, national and global levels. Collaboration among consumers, scientists, industry and government using a systems approach is vital for finding solutions to this challenge.

Conceptualization of alternative food networks in Latin America: a case study of a local food system in Southwestern Colombia

Alternative Food Networks (AFN) is a concept that has emerged in opposition to conventional food systems and the global food regime. AFN are localized food networks that connect actors from food producers to consumers creating a pathway that strengthens ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Much of the literature on AFN focuses on geographies and food systems in the Global North, often recommending schemes such as farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, organic certification, and fair trade. However, these strategies are not always appropriate for food systems in the Global South. In Colombia, small producers have maintained a parallel traditional food system, despite the growing pressure and investments to transition to a conventional food system. This research analyses the local food system of Cauca addressing the following questions: 1) what are the dynamics of the local food system in the Andean region of Cauca and 2) how can the local food system in the Andean region of Cauca be conceptualized as an alternative food network in the context of the Global South? To answer these questions, transdisciplinary research was carried out using SWOT analysis during multiple stakeholder workshops, followed by a reflexive thematic analysis of the results. The results show coexistence of both traditional and conventional food system dynamics, with participants assigning greater value to traditional food systems and agroecological production (akin to AFN literature), yet the economic insecurity and socio-political unrest that underlies daily life prohibits a more robust transition from conventional food system. It is argued that the understanding of AFN should be expanded to incorporate socio-cultural context as well as the dynamics of AFN in the Global South.

Exploring the future of GM technology in sustainable local food systems in Colombia.

The security of Earth's food systems is challenged by shifting regional climates. While agricultural processes are disrupted by climate change, they also play a large role in contributing to destabilizing greenhouse gases. Finding new strategies to increase yields while decreasing agricultural environmental impacts is essential. Tropical agriculture is particularly susceptible to climate change: local, smallholder farming, which provides a majority of the food supply, is high risk and has limited adaptation capacity. Rapid, inexpensive, intuitive solutions are needed, like the implementation of genetically modified (GM) crops. In the Latin American tropics, high awareness and acceptance of GM technologies, opportunities to test GM crops as part of local agricultural educations, and their known economic benefits, support their use. However, this is not all that is needed for the future of GM technologies in these areas: GM implementation must also consider environmental and social sustainability, which can be unique to a locality. Primarily from the perspective of its educators, the potential of a rural Colombian university in driving GM implementation is explored, including the role of this type of university in producing agricultural engineers who can innovate with GM to meet regionally-dependent environmental and cultural needs that could increase their sustainability.

The role of short supply chains and local food systems in the concept of food sovereignty and food democracy

The article discusses the role that short supply chains (SSCs) and local food systems (LFS) play in the implementation of food sovereignty and food democracy. The question asked is whether it is justified to seek alternatives to global and industrial food systems, bearing in mind, on the one hand, their negative effects and, on the other hand, food challenges as well as the objectives and assumptions of the EU policy expressed in the “Farm to Fork” strategy. The conducted analysis has shown that SSCs and LFS play a key role in food sovereignty and food democracy, as they contribute to building sustainable and equitable food systems that provide nations with control over the way they produce, and control of the food self-sufficiency and sovereignty over food supply, social bonds, choice of alternatives to industrial products, as well as information on food and its origin.

The Role of Home Gardens in Promoting Biodiversity and Food Security.

Plant genetic resources provide the basis for sustainable agricultural production, adaptation to climate change, and economic development. Many present crop plants are endangered due to extreme environmental conditions induced by climate change or due to the use of a limited selection of plant materials. Changing environmental conditions are a challenge for plant production and food security, emphasizing the urgent need for access to a wider range of plant genetic resources than what are utilized today, for breeding novel crop varieties capable of resilience and adaptation to climate change and other environmental challenges. Besides large-scale agricultural production, it is important to recognize that home gardens have been an integral component of family farming and local food systems for centuries. It is remarkable how home gardens have allowed the adaptation and domestication of plants to extreme or specific ecological conditions, thus contributing to the diversification of cultivated plants. Home gardens can help in reducing hunger and malnutrition and improve food security. In addition, they provide opportunities to broaden the base of cultivated plant materials by harboring underutilized crop plants and crop wild relative species. Crop wild relatives contain a wide range of genetic diversity not available in cultivated crops. Although the importance of home gardens in conserving plant genetic resources is well recognized, there is a risk that local genetic diversity will be lost if traditional plant materials are replaced by high-yielding modern cultivars. This paper provides an overview of home gardens and their present role and future potential in conserving and utilizing plant genetic resources and enhancing food and nutritional security under global challenges.

Discovering and Mapping Colloquial Terminologies Describing Underutilized and Neglected Food Crops-A Comprehensive Review.

Global levels of biodiversity and dietary diversity are decreasing, leading to food and nutrition insecurity. This is partially due to the homogenization of the global food supply with commodity crops. The reintroduction or introduction of neglected and underutilized species, minor, forgotten, and indigenous crops and landrace varieties to the wider food systems and further diversification have been outlined as the future strategies for tackling the above by the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization in their policy frameworks. Most of the above species/crops are marginalized and only used across local food systems and in research. With over 15,000 different seed banks and repositories worldwide, information transparency and communication are crucial for database searching and their effective utilization. Much confusion persists around the true nature of those plants, and this prohibits the efficient utilization of their economic potential. A linguistic corpus search and a systematic literature review were conducted using the six most popular collocates to the above terms, which were as follows: ancient, heirloom, heritage, traditional, orphan, and the more distinct term 'landrace'. The results were interpreted using the Critical Discourse Analysis method. The definitions' findings show that heirloom, heritage, and ancient are mainly used in the United Kingdom and USA, where they are used to describe 'naturalized' and 'indigenized' or 'indigenous' food crops with a strong affiliation to 'family' and the 'act of passing seeds down from generation to generation'. Orphan crops, on the other hand, are often described as being 'overlooked' by growers and 'underfunded' by researchers. Landrace is most strongly affiliated with 'locality', 'biocultural diversity', and 'indigenous', and with genomics literature, where the characteristics are often discussed in the context of genetics and population biology. Contextualizing, most of the terms were found to be 'arbitrary' and 'undefinable' due to their continuing evolution in the socially accepted form of language, perhaps apart from landrace. The review has retrieved 58 definitions for the mentioned 6 terms, together with the primary key terms creating a tool to facilitate a better inter-sector communication and aid in policy.

A multi-dimensional assessment of sustainable foods and the influence of stakeholder perceptions during nutrition interventions

In addressing the growing challenge of malnutrition, many governments, donors, and international organizations have committed to supporting large-scale programs to speed up global nutrition targets. However, food systems differ in size and structure from one country to another and between rural and urban areas, which might affect nutrition program success, especially in developing countries. In this study, we developed and tested an integrated field and model-based framework to assess nutrition, health, environment, and time burden to support the sustainable implementation of interventions within a local food system. Then, we examined the influence of stakeholder priorities in harmony with SDGs 2 and 12 on contextual drivers for selecting an optimal food processing method to introduce into meal preparation. The framework was designed considering nutrient profiling, environmental impact assessment, and multicriteria modeling and executed on the “Strengthening Capacity of Local Actors in the Nutrition-Sensitive Agri-food Value Chain” project in Zambia and Malawi. The results suggest that stakeholders' priorities substantially influence the method adopted in a local food system. Additionally, there are inevitable trade-offs, such as time burden/gain, fuel and water consumption, and lower/greater micronutrient levels during food processing and meal preparation that compete with nutrition program objectives; nonetheless, these trade-offs must be embraced to achieve sustainable food systems. Furthermore, nutrient leakages observed due to varying local processing and preparation raise concerns about the sustained efforts by international organizations. If confirmed in other regions, implies that investments during nutrition programs are wasted somewhere in the system due to inefficiencies at the household level.

Improving nutrition-sensitive value chains of African indigenous vegetables: current trends in postharvest management and processing

The value chains of African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) are highly constrained by high postharvest losses (up to 50%) along the chain, largely occasioned by poor postharvest management and a lack of optimized processing technologies. The technologies and practices are key technical aspects that can transform the capacity of the chain by enhancing the overall value generated from the system. AIVs have recently experienced an increase in demand due to their high nutritional value and the opportunity they present to enhance rural incomes, since they are predominantly produced by smallholder farmers in rural and peri-urban areas. This implies that they can positively contribute to increased availability and hence supply of nutritious food within local food systems. Furthermore, the fact that half of the economic value of AIVs is potentially lost due to inappropriate postharvest management and inadequate processing demonstrates the potential that related interventions and transformations could have in enhancing and preserving value along AIV value chains. Currently, the approaches applied to reduce food waste, preserve nutritional quality, and add value to AIVs are largely traditional in nature. They require upgrading and need to be aligned toward achieving a nutrition-sensitive value chain. By looking at these as value creation processes, this mini-review examines the current postharvest management practices, highlights relevant new and innovative technologies and related challenges, and suggests potential options to improve the benefits for AIV value chain actors and thus contribute to a sustainable transformation of nutrition-sensitive food systems.

Building sustainable, resilient, and nutritionally enhanced local food systems through home gardens in developing countries

ABSTRACT Home gardens have been a part of local and global food systems since humans first began domesticating crops and have endured the test of time. They are commonly referred to as kitchen gardens, backyard gardens, garden patches, and garden beds and often have a local or cultural context. Home gardens vary from location to location in terms of organization, structure, size, and composition and are generally influenced by household resources and attributes, socioeconomic aspects, and cultural factors. International organizations and national, regional, and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and grassroots groups have been adopting and utilizing home gardening to reduce hunger and food insecurity and mitigate food risks from various crises and disasters. Drawing on case studies from various regions of the world, this article highlights experiences with home gardening through case studies and their impacts on targeted communities in various areas of the world. The case studies show that low resource use, adaptability to diverse conditions and situations, and resilience are key factors contributing to the widespread adoption of home gardens. Furthermore, they have been a particularly useful development strategy in crisis and post-crisis situations and in improving marginalized and vulnerable communities’ food and nutritional security. This review article summarizes the important contributions of home gardening projects from various countries and identifies major constraints and opportunities. It concludes with recommendations to policy-makers, researchers, development practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to address those challenges.

Interlinkages between leverage points for strengthening adaptive capacity to climate change

While systemic leverage points have been identified as a powerful approach for planning and assessing policies and interventions for sustainability transformations, few studies have explored how leverage points interact and how this affects the desired change. In this study, we explored how the interlinkages between leverage points enable or constrain adaptive capacity to climate change of food system actors. We found 24 interlinkages when drawing on results from semi-structured interviews and a participatory visual art method used in focus groups in a case study in the Northern Region of Ghana. Nine interlinkages were identified as barriers to the adaptive capacity of the communities and actors of the local food system. For example, when studying the interlinkages between the place-specific leverage point of agricultural extension services and the generic leverage point of gender equality, we found that women have less access to agricultural extension services compared with men. Fifteen interlinkages were presented as enabling adaptive capacity; for example, women’s savings groups had many enabling interlinkages with gender equality such as creating unity and empowering the members. We argue that interlinkages between a set of leverage points (1) play a pivotal role in enabling or hindering the leverage points, (2) may instigate a chain of leverage and (3) may affect the system including the related leverage points in a deep or shallow way.

A local food systems strategy for the Concepción Metropolitan Area (ESAL25)

In the last decade, food and territorial planning has been proposed in European, North American and Latin American cities as a useful tool to promote the health and food and nutritional security of citizens, foster the sustainability of the metropolitan agroecosystem and regenerate resilient and healthy links between the city and nearby agricultural and rural territories in the face of various global and local scale phenomena.

Reviving Smallholder Hill Farming by Involving Rural Youth in Food System Transformation and Promoting Community-Based Agri-Ecotourism: A Case of Uttarakhand State in North-Western India

Until recent decades, labour-intensive subsistence farming was a way of life and livelihood in the hill communities of Uttarakhand, India. However, the nature of agriculture falls far short of the expectations of the main labour force, the rural youth, leading to their mass migration to non-agricultural occupations. The large-scale youth migration has left many hill farming landscapes depopulated and farmlands abandoned. As youth have special stakes in food systems, they must be included in the sustainable transformation of food systems. By doing so, the migration-prone hill region may be transformed into a place where rural youth have more options for work and income. Therefore, the agriculture sector needs to change and develop into a more engaging and youthful workplace. There are opportunities to explore and barriers to be removed. Besides identifying priority research areas on local food systems, in this exploratory research, we investigate opportunities to involve rural young people in the transformation of the food system. We document information by conducting focus group discussion (FGD) meetings in about 100 villages in the Uttarakhand hills, representing all major farming landscapes. This study mainly focuses on improving the production and consumption aspects of local food, which not only benefits the health and wellbeing of local communities but also has many positive economic, social, and environmental effects. In addition, we explore opportunities for reviving mountain agriculture through agri-ecotourism, which is a symbiotic relationship between tourism and agriculture. Making home- or farm stays in agri-ecotourism a subsistence strategy for local youth will contribute to a more prosperous rural economy. Recognising Uttarakhand’s rich culture and heritage while exploring the culinary travel opportunities in homestays will provide opportunities to focus more on traditional food systems, exposing various tangible and intangible aspects of the host region’s food culture to tourists. The findings of this study will aid in identifying specific policy issues for consideration by planners and policymakers at the local and state levels. Additionally, this exploratory study will assist young, motivated researchers in conducting follow-up, in-depth investigations and producing empirical data in their specialised fields.