Summer, 1996 (v8n3)
Jennifer Wilkins
Research in Rural Sociology and Development 6:149-166. 1995
Reviewer's note: This article offers a succinct overview of the forces influencing the current globalized, resource-intensive food system and the trend toward a more sustainable food economy. It suggests that achieving a more sustainable food and agricultural system is an appropriate goal for consumers and offers specific educational strategies for doing so. Many of the issues and questions discussed in this article will be considered in greater detail from a California perspective at the SAREP fall conference, Community Food Systems: Sustaining Farms and People in the Emerging Economy(see article, page 10).
Although current dietary guidelines for the public have generally been based on nutrient requirements and disease prevention, Wilkins suggests in this article that emerging concerns with ecological sustainability are becoming increasingly relevant for influencing dietary change. In fact, Wilkins says, goals to improve food system sustainability are completely consistent with those that promote individual nutritional health.
Gussow and Clancy (1986) first suggested the term, "sustainable diets" to describe an eating pattern based on the Dietary Guidelines that would contribute to personal health as well as to the sustainability of the food and agricultural system. One of the primary assumptions underlying a "sustainable diet" is that foods are produced, processed and distributed as locally as possible. This approach would support more regional agricultural systems that preserve farmland and community economic viability, require less energy for transportation and offer consumers the freshest, ripest foods from the region. In the context of the current, centralized food system where most foods in commercial outlets travel thousands of miles, where export markets and the concept of "comparative advantage" play a large role in production decisions and where consumers are generally unaware of the sources of their food, such a sustainable diet may be hard to achieve.
Nevertheless, a growing number of researchers and sustainable agriculture groups are exploring alternative models for educating consumers about more local, sustainable diets. The "foodshed," loosely analogous to a watershed, has surfaced as one conceptual way to think about the origins and destinations of foods in a particular region. Additionally, the regional Sustainable Agriculture Working Groups (SAWGs) have promoted diverse, decentralized production, coupled with value-added local marketing and consumer education about a more sustainable, local food system in various policy proposals.
Wilkins suggests this renewed interest in regional food systems may be stimulated by a growing awareness of corporate control and concentration in the food and agricultural system and its effects on farmers' diminishing share of the food dollar. Another factor influencing consumers' interest is that in many parts of the United States, more than 70 percent of consumers' food supply is imported from outside the region, making them dependent on other areas for their food. A third factor contributing to an interest in building a more self-reliant food system is the concern that the current food system depends so heavily on a continuous supply of cheap oil (for agricultural chemicals, transportation, and food processing) and, in some farming regions, cheap water. If environmental and transportation costs were more fully accounted for, Wilkins suggests that areas that now claim a comparative advantage in food production may change. Further, if demand for fruits and vegetables increases as current nutritional recommendations advise, regional vs. global responses to expand supply could be very different depending on whether global accessing or local diversification are promoted. These options pose significant differences in terms of costs and impacts to regional agricultural production, processing and the economic vitality of particular communities.
Benefits and Barriers of Eating from the Foodshed
According to Wilkins, one of the most important benefits of increasing regional food self-reliance is the opportunity to educate consumers about the "carrying capacity" of a particular region. (Reviewer's note: Carrying capacity is the population that a particular region can support sustainably.) In addition, there is the potential for economic renewal and a strengthening of farmland preservation policies as a result of stronger local markets for growers and processors. Greater regional self-reliance also decreases the current concentration in the food system and potentially improves local food security.
There are also potential disadvantages or barriers to increasing regional food self-reliance. First, product variety, especially in some parts of the country during the winter months, will be limited and consumer acceptance may be minimal. A second and related concern is the nutritional adequacy of a regionally-based diet. Achieving nutritional objectives is possible in more locally-based food systems, but will probably require significant consumer education. Third, a more locally-based diet would diminish markets from other areas, especially markets in less developed countries, potentially resulting in negative consequences for their local economies. And last, if attempts were made locally to continue providing the same year- round diversity of fruits and vegetables we have within our current food system, it could result in farmers using unsustainable practices or levels of inputs that result in damage to the environment.
Consumer Education and Research
Since a shift to a more regional food system would require significant dietary changes for many consumers, a willingness to consider these changes is necessary. For example, a more local diet would mean less fresh fruits and vegetables during certain times of the year, and require that consumers change their cooking habits and increase their knowledge of the availability of seasonal foods. In addition, for most consumers, few links are made between their food choices and the larger environmental, economic and social consequences of the food system. Wilkins suggests that information regarding place of origin and growing methods is important for consumers to have and use in their food choices. More information on labels could help in this regard. Policies that support education about how to purchase, plan and prepare meals based on locally available foods are needed. Regional food guides are examples of this strategy. Other policies that support direct marketing strategies such as community supported agriculture projects (subscription farms) would also be useful.
Research is still needed to address questions about the costs and benefits associated with transitioning to a more regional food system. If demand were to increase for local foods, we need information about how local markets and local agriculture might change. In addition, little is known about what consumers consider "local" or what should constitute a "foodshed." More needs to be learned about how consumers' choices are influenced by how they feel about where their food is grown, and its perceived and actual nutritional adequacy.
Wilkins concludes by suggesting that as consumers become more aware of the increasing environmental and social costs associated with the current global food system and the potential benefits of a more decentralized one, food preferences may indeed shift. However, this change in consumer demand will only come about with effective and continuous education through a variety of venues.
For more information contact: Jennifer Wilkins, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
(GWF.596)
Contributed by Gail Feenstra
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