Understanding Community Food Systems

A presentation of the Community Food Systems team of Michigan State University Extension’s Greening Michigan Institute

Outline

• What is Good Food?• Sustainability and the triple bottom line• What makes up a community food system?• How does the food system benefit a community?• How can the local food system be enhanced?• What actions can you take to help change occur?

Good Food is:

Healthy – It provides nourishment and enables people to thrive

What is Good Food?

___ ___ __ Good Food is:

Green – It was produced in a manner that is environmentally sustainable

What is Good Food?

Good Food is:

Fair – no one along the production line was exploited for its creation

What is Good Food?

Good Food is:

Affordable – All people have access to it

What is Good Food?

A sustainable community food system integrates food production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management in order to enhance the vitality of a community.

Sectors of the Community Based Food System

Jobs

Benefits to the community

EconomicDevelopment

Benefits to the community

Small & MediumScale Farm Viability

Benefits to the community

Community & Social Vitality

Benefits to the community

Healthy Individuals

Benefits to the community

EnvironmentalStewardship

Benefits to the community

Farmland Preservation

Benefits to the community

All of the sectors working together provides multiple benefits to communities

“We envision a thriving economy,

equity and sustainability for all of Michigan and its people through a

food system rooted in local communities

and centered on good food.”

-Vision of the Good Food Charter

Find Michigan Good Food Charter at:

www.michigangoodfood.org

Copies of reports and publications

Connection with statewide network

Updates on progress toward goals

A sustainable community food system enhances the environmental, economic and social health of a community (sometimes called a triple bottom line).

Triple Bottom Line Profit People

Planet

Economy Society

Environment

EconomicProsperity

Social & Cultural Vibrancy

Environmental

& Ecological Integrity

EconomyTriple Botto

m Line

Let’s explore some strategies that can strengthen the economic impact of a community food system:

• Farmers markets• Season extension technology• Increased local food production• Development of local food systems jobs

Negative Nancy:

“Eating local can’t be done in Michigan during the winter months.My farmers markets isn’t even open all year long! Am I supposed to NOT eat bananas and coffee?”

High tunnels or hoop houses have the

potential to create profitability for

farmers to produce year round.

New technology– like aquaponics – can create sustainable food system opportunities.

This process combines growing vegetables with raising fish in systems that cycle nutrients for the benefit of both.

You can make a difference…..

• Eating Seasonally - adjust your purchasing habits. Buy local strawberries in July. Preserve some so that you don’t need to buy expensive imported berries in February.

You can make a difference…..

• Buy local foods that are grown in hoop houses – spinach and other leafy greens are being grown 10 – 11 months of the year in Michigan hoop houses. Yes, you’ll still need to buy imported bananas and coffee at all times of the year since these aren’t produced in Michigan.

The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that more than 13,500 jobs could be created by improving local food infrastructure.

How are jobs created?—the auto industry as an analogy :

Someone makes the parts and assembles the car Someone sells the car Someone maintain cars Someone builds and maintains the infrastructure to

serve vehicles (highways, gas stations, etc.) Someone provides financing and insurance Many businesses grew to serve automobiles

In the same fashion, a food system creates jobs:

• Someone grows food• Someone sells seeds, tools, implements• Someone transports and distributes food• Someone adds value to food (packs, bakes, processes)• Someone sells food in stores, markets and restaurants• Someone collects waste and possibly recycles it

The Local Food Economy

Local Food Economy

1) Good Money – Increase the amount of money coming into the community

2) Neutral Money – Increase the velocity of money circulated in the region among local businesses

3) Bad Money – Reduce income leaving the community via outside purchases

Good money increases when products are exported and when outsiders visit and spend.

Bad money is reduced when locals spend more at home. Neutral money speeds up

with business to business trade

Adapted from the work of Ed Morrison & David Morganthaler

Negative Nancy:

“Local farmers can’t produce enough to meet the demand from food processors except for certain things during the season! And it would be too expensive for all those small farms to scale up to meet demand!”

Food Hubs can be developed to overcome the problems of

aggregation to meet demand.

Regional Food Hubs

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a regional food hub is a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand.

FOOD HUB

From small local farms food is aggregated at the food hub for purchasers like schools,

hospitals, large food businesses, prisons,

universities, senior living facilities and many others

Environment

Triple Bottom

Line

Food travels on average more than 1500 miles to reach our tables, impacting our environment.

Farmers’ markets are places where buyers can ask the farmer about his or her production practices and learn about how their food is being grown.

Urban farms and gardens offer the opportunity for vacant and blighted land to be returned to productive use.

Society

Triple Bottom

Line

Health care costs are increasing for treatment of preventable chronic diseases, such as Adult Onset (Type 2) Diabetes, impacting productivity and profits.

1 in 6 Americans are food insecure meaning they do not know where their next meal is coming from – 1 in 4 children are food insecure.

Negative Nancy:

“Kids won’t eat healthy food for lunch. And the food doesn’t have to come from local farms to be healthy.”

Across the country, many schools have been successful in buying local foods and encouraging kids to eat them! Many are engaging their students in growing food in school gardens.

The Grocery Store Food System• Keeps cash-register prices

low• Provides a diverse food

supply

The Local Food System• Connects us more directly

with our food• Connects us to the people

who grow our food• Keeps $ closer to home

How can people help make a change?

• Grow your own garden;• Educate your kids about what they eat and where food

comes from; • Shop at a farmers market or buy directly from a farmer;• Spend your food dollars locally whenever possible; • Attend farm or community garden tours and open houses,

join a local food council or food co-op; and• Read labels – country of origin stickers are now required

on packaged, fresh produce.