R. David Lamie

Motivations for a special issue on local food systems development

Increasingly, many believe that food is for much more than simple biological maintenance. Our society is replete with examples of how food symbolizes our value structures, our relationships with each other, and the environment in which we live. We welcome friends, new and old, into our homes to share meals. We often do business over lunch or dinner. We welcome new neighbors with baked goods or vegetables from the garden. Religions base many of their traditions on restricting particular types of food or on full-on feasting. All implore believers to feed the hungry. Cultural traditions vary greatly around the world, but it would be difficult to find an example that did not involve an element of respect for the way their food is produced, handled, prepared, or consumed. Traditionally, food was consumed in rather close proximity to where it was produced. It was only in recent decades that these traditions were disrupted. This disruption was coincidental with increasing human populations and the advent of refrigeration, transportation infrastructure, petroleum-based production inputs, concentrated and specialized large-scale production technologies, and other ingredients necessary to the development of the long supply chain model of providing food. Add to that the dual income household, information technology, and the concomitant overall busyness of modern life. The resulting disconnects have, arguably, played a role in the disruption of the fabric of the human community. As a result, the last two to three decades have witnessed a steady growth in interest in policies, programs, and practices aimed at ameliorating these conditions, and some are looking to food as an essential ingredient. Many would argue that there are unintended consequences, primarily anthropomorphic but also more broadly construed, associated with the manner in which our food supply chain has evolved. These concerns range in focus from health, to environment, to economic structure, to social justice. But, for each argument critical of our current food system, there are to be found strong counter-arguments; the popular press is replete with stories that lean toward taking specific sides in these arguments, often demonizing those on the other side. As editors of this special issue, we sought out local food scholars who strive to be fair, balanced, and as factual as possible in their arguments. For community development practitioners, we think this even-handed approach is appropriate as it should foster more sustainable community change. For community development scholars, this approach should