NE185: Commodities, Consumers, and Communities: Local Food Systems in a Globalizing Environment
Statement of Issues and Justification
Agriculture in the United States had changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Smaller, family-labor farms have declined substantially in number and to some extent have been replaced by industrial-like operations. These big operations have become the main provider of food and other agricultural products. Agricultural production has also become regionalized as areas exploit their comparative advantage. The relationships between large scale, regionally concentrated producers, national and multinational food processors and distributors, and the structure of local food systems are complex, geographically complicated, and heavily influenced by policy. Yet they are poorly understood. This research will provide critical information about farmers, food and agricultural firms, families, communities and consumers in different locales and with different resources respond to and manage these changes.
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