Rather than argue about organic vs conventional farming or big vs small in local food production, the sector should “focus on what works best to achieve these concrete goals: Reliable and consistent production of safe, nutritious and affordable food; healthy working lands and ecosystems; and prosperous farms and communities,” says the AGree farm-policy project. That’s the first of six recommendations in an AGree report on local food. The others suggest that decisions be made at the local level and that more data is needed on the growth in the sector and more research on how to improve access and affordability of locally produced food.
“FDA’s food-safety regulations should appropriately address risks and apply scale-appropriate regulatory mechanisms,” says AGree in its recommendations.
According to the USDA, nearly 8 percent of farms sold food locally, through outlets such as farmers’ markets. “What began as a niche has grown over time into a complex system,” says the report. It says all sizes of farms – small, medium and large – participate in local markets; 50 percent sell livestock and 30 percent sell produce. A cooperative in the Pacific Northwest with 60 members grows wheat for export while retaining the high-value varieties to brand and market regionally, said AGree.
A survey of Illinois operators of one type of local food production, community-supported agriculture, found the farmers were less motivated by the desire to make a profit than by goals such as providing wholesome food or land stewardship, says the Daily Yonder. “Generally, CSAs provided supplemental income for farm families.” There also was high turnover.