Week 12 Blog

The readings this week discuss the local food movement and how preconceived notions of "local" make be harmful in the greater food movement. The idea of local food is typically a positive one where the community is involved, the farmers are gaining a direct benefit from it and there is unprecedented access. This notion of the local food system however is not as pristine as one might think, the Branden Born article mentions the idea of the local trap which is essentially the glorification of the local food system and how it is inherently better than what one might get from the larger commercial scale. It brings forth the idea that people perceive the local system to meet all of their assumptions, these include the idea that the farms that are growing these products are doing so in a sustainable way while also being sure to completely avoid the use of pesticides or other additives which one might find at a larger scale. It brings forth the idea that planners may neglect their overall goal and duties based on their allegiance to the local food system, it also creates a sort of emphasis on local food which might not be able to be accurately scaled to meet the demands of a community that finds itself more and more interested in it. All of this culminates to create this trendy idea of the local food movement and system which ignore the qualities that the local movement should be built on such as sustainability and providing access to affordable healthy food for the greater community. Beyond that the local food movement assumes that it will promote a sense of social interaction and growth within a community, however the argument can be made that peoples habits won't change even if they shop together at a farmers market as opposed to a major grocery store.
  By careful planning and widespread community engagement coupled with assistance by those in a position to directly create positive change, planners can spearhead movement to optimize the local food system. By working to promote the values of a local food system which encourages environmental consideration and economic and social benefits to the community, one can see why the idea is so appealing.