Open AccessPosted Content
Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues
Steve Martinez,Michael S. Hand,Michelle Da Pra,Susan L. Pollack,Katherine Ralston,Travis A. Smith,Stephen J. Vogel,Shellye Clark,Luanne Lohr,Sarah A. Low,Constance Newman +10 more
TLDR
In this paper, a comprehensive overview of local food systems explores alternative definitions of local foods, estimates market size and reach, describes the characteristics of local consumers and producers, and examines early indications of the economic and health impacts of Local Food Systems.Abstract:
This comprehensive overview of local food systems explores alternative definitions of local food, estimates market size and reach, describes the characteristics of local consumers and producers, and examines early indications of the economic and health impacts of local food systems. There is no consensus on a definition of “local” or “local food systems” in terms of the geographic distance between production and consumption. But defining “local” based on marketing arrangements, such as farmers selling directly to consumers at regional farmers’ markets or to schools, is well recognized. Statistics suggest that local food markets account for a small, but growing, share of U.S. agricultural production. For smaller farms, direct marketing to consumers accounts for a higher percentage of their sales than for larger farms. Findings are mixed on the impact of local food systems on local economic development and better nutrition levels among consumers, and sparse literature is so far inconclusive about whether localization reduces energy use or greenhouse gas emissions.read more
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An Indicator Framework for Assessing Agroecosystem Resilience
Joshua F. Cabell,Myles Oelofse +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review of resilience in social-ecological systems is presented, where resilience theory can be applied to agro-ecosystems, based on the premise that agroeco-ystems are too complex for resilience to be measured in any precise manner.
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Antivirus-built environment: Lessons learned from Covid-19 pandemic
Naglaa A. Megahed,Ehab M Ghoneim +1 more
TL;DR: This study imagines what the antivirus-built environment looks like based on the lessons learned and the importance of designing a healthy and sustainable built environment to add additional security layers to overcome future virus-like attacks.
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The use of fly larvae for organic waste treatment.
TL;DR: The major obstacles associated with the production of fly larvae from organic waste on an industrial scale seem to be technological aspects of scaling-up the production capacity, insufficient knowledge of fly biology necessary to produce large amounts of eggs, and current legislation.
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Direct and Intermediated Marketing of Local Foods in the United States
Sarah A. Low,Stephen J. Vogel +1 more
TL;DR: The authors found that small and medium-sized farms dominate local foods sales marketed exclusively through direct-to-consumer channels (foods sold at roadside stands or farmers' markets, for example) while large farms dominated local food sales marketing exclusively through intermediated channels.
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Energy Intensity of Agriculture and Food Systems
Nathan Pelletier,Eric Audsley,Sonja Brodt,Tara Garnett,Patrik J. G. Henriksson,Alissa Kendall,Klaas Jan Kramer,David Murphy,Thomas Nemecek,Max Troell,Max Troell +10 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review the current state of knowledge with respect to the energy intensity of agriculture and food systems and highlight key drivers and trends in food system energy use along with opportunities for and constraints on improved efficiencies.
References
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Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops.
Seung K. Lee,Adel A. Kader +1 more
TL;DR: The content of vitamin C in fruits and vegetables can be influenced by various factors such as genotypic differences, pre-harvest climatic conditions and cultural practices, maturity and harvesting methods, and postharvest handling procedures.
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The contextual effect of the local food environment on residents' diets: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study
TL;DR: Findings suggest the local food environment is associated with residents' recommended diets, and black Americans' fruit and vegetable intake increased for each additional supermarket in the census tract.
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Embeddedness and local food systems: notes on two types of direct agricultural market☆
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use the concept of social embeddedness from economic sociology to analyze the interplay of the economic and the social in direct agricultural markets, and propose an analytical framework that more accurately describes the social relations of two types of direct agricultural market * the farmers' market and community supported agriculture.
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How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture
TL;DR: The environmental and human health problems associated with current food production practices are outlined and how these systems could be made more sustainable are discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
The practice and politics of food system localization
TL;DR: The authors examined the practice and politics of food system localization efforts in Iowa, USA and argued that desirable social or environmental outcomes may not always map neatly onto the spatial content of local, which itself involves the social construction of scale.
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